A Connecticut man admitted to hacking into the iCloud accounts of prominent females celebrities including “Red Sparrow” actress Jennifer Lawrence and more than 200 others.
George Garofano, 26, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a phishing scheme that allowed him to gain access to the accounts of people in the entertainment industry, according to a Department of Justice press release.
Authorities said between April 2013 and October 2014 Garofano used the attacks to access to the accounts by sending emails appearing to be from Apple security accounts encouraging the victims to send him their usernames and passwords or to enter them on a third-party website, where he would later retrieve them. Garofano also admitted to trading the stolen credentials from approximately 240 accounts with other individuals.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
