A teenager who hacked Snapchat accounts and threatened to post nude images of women online to make money has been jailed for two years.
Jasin Bushi, 18, took control of a series of women’s social media accounts, posing as the victim to message their friends. He claimed to be facing eviction and asked to borrow money for rent.
If the money was not paid, Bushi would threaten to post nude images of the victim on the internet.
He was jailed for two years at a sentencing at Wood Green crown court on Monday for a series of hacking incidents and fraud between December 2020 and February 2021.
A string of intimate images of the victims, taken from Snapchat accounts, had been posted online, but the judge accepted that Bushi had not been responsible. One victim found that she had had her photos leaked when told by a work colleague.
The Met Police’s Cyber Crime Unit were called to investigate in May 2021, tracing PayPal accounts set up in fake names which had been used in the blackmail plot. Bushi was identified through mobile numbers used to set up the accounts.
Seven victims, aged between 17 and 35, came forward to aid the investigation.
Detective Constable Ed Sehmer, the investigating officer, added: “This crime type often goes underreported as victims can often feel shame or embarrassment. There is nothing to feel ashamed about.
Bushi pleaded guilty to unauthorised access to a computer to facilitate the commission of an offence, possession of articles used in fraud, fraud by false representation, and three counts of blackmail.
