Jury says UK teens were part of the hacking group behind a ‘Grand Theft Auto’ blackmail bid

Prosecutors said the two teenagers were key players in a group known as Lapsus$ that in 2021 and 2022 hacked the computer systems of companies including communications provider BT, cellphone company EE, software company Nvidia and games-maker Rockstar Games, then threatened to release sensitive information unless they were paid millions in ransoms. — Image by Freepik

LONDON: A British jury ruled Aug 23 that two teenagers were part of a hacking and blackmail campaign against technology companies including the maker of the Grand Theft Auto game series.

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court in London said 18-year-old Arion Kurtaj committed 12 offenses including computer hacking, blackmail and fraud. A 17-year-old defendant who can’t be identified because of his age was convicted of fraud, blackmail and carrying out an unauthorised act to impair the operation of a computer.