A teenage hacker famous for attempting to blackmail Rockstar Games by leaking Grand Theft Auto 6 to the public has been declared unfit to stand trial by a group of psychiatrists. The teenage hacker also hacked into other big name companies such as Uber and Nvidia Corp.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is not only one of the highest-selling games of all time, but it’s also the most successful piece of fictional media ever made, amassing almost 8 billion dollars. Due to the success of GTA 5, It’s probably safe to say that Grand Theft Auto 6, even without an official trailer released, is one of the most anticipated games of this decade. So it’s no surprise that fans are willing to jump on every rumor that comes out for GTA 6, with Rockstar Games trying to intercept each leak that gets to the public. The one thing Rockstar most likely didn’t expect was for a young hacker to try and blackmail the company over the anticipated title.
18-year-old Arion Kurtaj, a member of the hacker group named Lapsus$, attempted to blackmail Rockstar Games by releasing the Grand Theft Auto 6 source code online. Kurtaj has a history of hacking into giant companies, like when he caused nearly three million dollars of damage to Uber by releasing private information. A group of psychiatrists has declared that Kurtaj is unable to stand trial, so instead, the jury will decide if he committed these alleged crimes instead of delivering a verdict based on his guilt.
This story almost feels like a side mission in Grand Theft Auto 6, but it’s all true. Kurtaj also had an unnamed partner in crime who demanded a four million dollar ransom from EE, a British mobile company. The two hackers were known as “key players” in Lapsus$. Lapsus$ has members all over the world and is suspected to be highly organized. The group has attacked companies as big as Samsung, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Ubisoft.
Kurtaj has been charged with three counts of blackmail, as well as nine other offenses, including fraud. His unnamed partner in crime is on trial for two counts of fraud as well as two counts of blackmail. He’s also charged with three other related crimes, although he denies any wrongdoing. There has been no official word from Rockstar Games about these developments or the release date of Grand Theft Auto 6.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is in development.
Source: Reuters