In a significant legal development, an 18-year-old resident of Oxford has been found to be an integral part of an international cyber-crime syndicate that orchestrated a series of hacking attacks against prominent technology firms.
Arion Kurtaj, a key member of the Lapsus$ group, has been implicated in hacking endeavors targeting entities such as Uber, Nvidia, and Rockstar Games.
The court proceedings unveiled that Kurtaj boldly disclosed snippets of the unreleased Grand Theft Auto 6 game while situated in a Travelodge hotel during his bail period.
The audacious hacking campaigns orchestrated by Lapsus$ across 2021 and 2022 reverberated throughout the cyber security landscape, leaving a profound impact.
Due to being diagnosed with autism, psychiatrists ruled Kurtaj unfit to stand trial, resulting in his absence from the courtroom for providing testimony.
The jury’s responsibility centered around ascertaining whether Kurtaj had committed the alleged actions, not whether he did so with criminal intent.
A co-defendant, another 17-year-old also diagnosed with autism, was found guilty for his role in the activities of the Lapsus$ gang. However, his identity remains undisclosed owing to his age.
Hailing from the United Kingdom and allegedly with ties to Brazil, the group was portrayed in court as “digital bandits.”
Utilizing tactics reminiscent of con artists alongside computer hacking techniques, the predominantly teenage gang breached the systems of multinational corporations, including technology titan Microsoft and digital banking group Revolut.
Throughout their hacking spree, the group brazenly showcased their crimes on the social networking platform Telegram, taunting victims in both English and Portuguese.
The trial unfolded over a seven-week period within London’s Southwark Crown Court.
