Albayrak pleads guilty to blackmailing Apple

AN IT analyst admitted blackmailing Apple for Bitcoin and iTunes vouchers after posting a video of himself hacking into iCloud accounts on YouTube.

Kerem Albayrak, 22, demanded more than £133,000 worth of Bitcoin and £837 iTunes vouchers from the American tech giant.

Albayrak from north London admitted blackmail after earlier pleading guilty to two charges of unauthorised access to computer material at Southwark Crown Court.

He had demanded $75,000 (around £50,000) worth of Bitcoin then upped the amount to $150,000 (roughly £130,000) and $1,100 (more than £800) in iTunes gift cards in return for calling off his plan to sell the personal details of 319 million Apple iCloud users.

John Ojakovoh, prosecuting, told an earlier hearing: ‘This concerns the blackmail of Apple, it concerns an unauthorised act and unauthorised access.’

Judge Christopher Hehir told the blackmailer his guilty plea was a ‘very wise step’ adding: ‘I am not going to sentence you today. I am not going to say anything else about the sentence I have in mind.

‘I need the pre-sentence report before I indicate what sentence I impose.’

Albayrak admitted blackmailing Apple between March 9, 2017 and March, 22, 2017 and two counts of unauthorised access to computer material. He has bailed ahead of sentence on December 20 at Southwark Crown Court.