(Original article: news.livedoor.com)
What Happened?
Three middle and high school students (aged 14–16) were arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police for unauthorized access to Rakuten Mobile’s system using a self-made program to fraudulently sign up for mobile contracts.
The charges include violation of the Unauthorized Computer Access Law and computer fraud.
How Was the Fraud Committed?
- The three suspects used ChatGPT to improve efficiency in executing unauthorized access.
- They purchased over 2 billion leaked account credentials from social media and used them to log into Rakuten Mobile’s system.
- The illegally obtained mobile lines were resold for profit.
This case is highly unusual as it involves minors leveraging AI technology for large-scale cyber fraud.
Background & Connections
- The three teenagers were online gaming friends and obtained hacking-related information from an anonymous contact via the encrypted messaging app Telegram.
- One of the arrested students admitted, “I contracted over 1,000 mobile lines since December 2023.”
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police are continuing their investigation to identify other individuals involved.
