A cyber hacker has admitted to stealing unreleased music from several major recording artists, including Coldplay, Shawn Mendes and Bebe Rexha, and putting them on the dark web for profit.
The now-captured thief, Skylar Dalziel, 22, illegally accessed cloud storage accounts to sell songs on the dark web, earning more than £42,000, according to a new report from the BBC.
Dalziel, from Luton, England, pleaded guilty to 11 copyright offenses at Luton Crown Court. The court sentenced her to 21 months in prison, suspended for 24 months, along with 180 hours of unpaid work.
The crimes first came to light in June 2021 after Sony Music discovered a breach in a cloud account linked to American artist Upsahl.
Ultimately, police found that Dalziel had stolen 40 unreleased tracks and sold them online.
City of London Police's Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt condemned her actions, saying, "Stealing copyrighted material for your own financial gain is illegal. It jeopardizes the work of artists and the livelihoods of the people who work with them."
Authorities linked Dalziel to the crimes through an account on an online forum where unreleased music was being sold.
Police arrested her on January 9, 2023, and seized three hard drives containing nearly 292,000 music tracks, according to reports.
A spreadsheet found on Dalziel's devices revealed her sales history, showing that she had received payments totaling £42,049 (around $52,280 in American currency).
Some of this money was transferred to U.S. bank accounts, prompting cooperation between City of London Police and Homeland Security Investigations to track down accomplices.
Dalziel also admitted to charges of transferring and possessing criminal property. Prosecutors said she "selfishly used their music to make money for herself."
The case highlights how cybercrime threatens the creative industries.
Organizations like the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) played a key role in identifying Dalziel's activities. They worked with police to track the stolen tracks and prevent further sales.
Further, the court's decision sends a warning to potential hackers. Det. Constable Fryatt added, "We have the ability and tools to locate cybercriminals and hold them to account for their actions."
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