US teen charged as 'mastermind' in epic Twitter hack
Prosecutors in Florida said they filed 30 felony counts against 17-year-old resident.
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Criminal charges were filed on Friday against the suspected teenage mastermind of an epic Twitter hack and two others who allegedly helped hijack celebrity accounts to swindle people out of more than $100,000 in a cryptocurrency scheme.
Prosecutors in Florida said they filed 30 felony counts against 17-year-old resident of the state identified as the "mastermind" of the cyberattack. He was arrested in Tampa, Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said.
Separately, the US Attorney’s Office in San Francisco announced charges against three people, one of them from Britain, for roles in the mid-July cyberattack that rocked Twitter.
US officials said 19-year-old Mason "Chaewon" Sheppard of Britain along with Nima Fazeli, 22, of Florida face criminal charges in the case.
Details about the third individual were not released by US officials because he is a minor, but it appeared they were referring to the Florida teenager being prosecuted as adult in that state.
The attack on Twitter involved a combination of "technical breaches and social engineering" that let hackers hijack accounts of politicians, celebrities, and musicians, according to federal prosecutors.
