Website Operator Indicted for Stealing Passwords from Streaming Services

An Oregon man has been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury for allegedly stealing and reselling user credentials for streaming services, the U.S. Attorney’s office has announced.

The Department of Justice stated in a press release that Samuel Joyner has been charged with conspiracy to commit computer and access device fraud, along with numerous other accounts.

According to the indictment, Joyner and another man located in Australia (Evan McMahon) created a website that provided access to stolen login credentials for streaming services.

The website, called AccountBot, allegedly had over 52,000 customers and provided more than 217,000 usernames and passwords for login.

The individuals running the site obtained usernames and passwords through computer hacking techniques for various streaming services.

Some of the most popular services include:

• Netflix
• Disney+
• Hulu
• HBO Max
• Spotify Premium
• and more

These computer hacking techniques oftentimes involved obtaining login credentials from public breaches and reselling them to website subscribers.

Customers of AccountBot paid anywhere from $1.79 – $24.99 depending on the streaming service chosen and the duration for use.

Members paid for these services in fiat or cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) to ensure anonymity.

Joanna Kondos, Australian Police cybercrime officer stated the following regarding the arrest:

Following a referral of information from our FBI law enforcement partners, the Australian Federal Police arrested, charged and secured a conviction against a Sydney man, and we also seized more than a million dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency assets which were the proceeds of his crime

The investigation into Accountbot began in Omaha, Nebraska, and led investigators across the country to Oregon and eventually Australia.

Joyner was arrested and pleaded not guilty to multiple accounts. His trial is set to begin on July 13, 2021.

McMahon was also prosecuted in Sydney Australia in April of this year and was sentenced to two years and two months in prison.

Protect Your Passwords

With website breaches and hacks continuing to occur everywhere, it is more important than ever to protect your online login credentials.

MangaDex Website Hacked & Shut Down – User Data Likely Breached

The best way to do so is with a password manager such as 1Password.

This handy service will save and store all your passwords SECURELY in one location so you don’t have to worry about your credentials being compromised.

1Password features include:

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• Watchtower technology to monitor password breaches and weak/duplicated passwords

Using 1Password is the most simple, safe way to store your passwords and keep all your login credentials in one easy-to-access location.

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1Password pairs perfectly with IPVanish VPN to ensure complete anonymity and security whenever you access the internet.

You can read the entire release from the US Attorney’s Office in the District of Oregon below:

Beaverton Man Indicted In Streaming Service Fraud Scheme