Back in 2017, a self-proclaimed Apple hacker who claimed to have access to more than 300 million iCloud accounts blackmailed the Cupertino company. The now 22 years old recently pleaded guilty to his crimes and was sentenced in London. Kerem Albayrak from North London threatened Apple that he would wipe clean and factory reset countless iCloud accounts if the latter fails to give in to his demands.
Just a few days ago, Kerem Albayrak was found guilty and was sentenced to a two-year suspended jail term, 300 hours of unpaid work, and a six-month electronic curfew, says ZDNet. In Mar. 2017, the then 20 years old Apple hacker said that he is the spokesman of the Turkish Crime Family. He is allegedly in possession of more than 300 million iCloud accounts.
Albayrak asked Apple to pay him $100,000 worth of iTunes gift card or $75,000 in cryptocurrency so he could delete the copy of the stolen database, shares the UK National Crime Agency in a statement. The Apple hacker also gave the Cupertino company a deadline of until Apr. 7, 2017, to meet his demands. Should Apple fails to meet his request, the hacker claimed that he would commence remotely wiping Apple devices, factory resetting iCloud accounts, and dumping the stolen database online.
But, before the deadline, in Mar. 2017, the National Cyber Crime Unit stormed to Albayrak's home and arrested him. The law enforcement also seized digital devices like computers, hard drives, and smartphones. Apple coordinated with law enforcement in the US and in the UK that made the arrest of the then 20 years old Apple hacker possible.
In Dec. 2019, Albayrak pleaded guilty to two counts of '"unauthorized acts with intent to impair the operation of or prevent/hinder access to a computer' and one count of blackmail. The 22 years old hacker was sentenced to receive a two year suspended jail term, full 300 hours of unpaid work in the neighborhood, and a six-month electronic curfew at the Southwark Crown Court.
Convicted of a hacker who blackmailed Apple and threatened to reset hundreds of millions of accounts - https://t.co/0m7t91WWZI pic.twitter.com/aGUIPuyVd2 — MACKINTOSH-HD.NET (@MackintoshHD) December 23, 2019
"Albayrak wrongly believed he could escape justice after hacking into two accounts and attempting to blackmail a large multi-national corporation," states Anna Smith, Senior Investigative Officer for the NCA. "During the investigation, it became clear that he was seeking fame and fortune. But cyber-crime doesn't pay. The NCA is committed to bringing cyber-criminals to justice. It is imperative that victims report such compromises as soon as possible and retain all evidence," the officer notes.
