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Sextortionist 'Cutefuzzypuppy' Who Targeted Miss Teen USA Arrested By Feds
Photo by Dariush M. via Shutterstock
An alleged sextortionist in Orange County has been taken into custody, and faces federal charges stemming from numerous encounters with young women online.
19-year-old college student Jared James Abrahams is accused of anonymously hacking several online accounts to extort young females into sending him nude photos and video or submitting to 5-minute Skype sessions, according to federal authorities.
Abrahams allegedly used the domain "Cutefuzzypuppy" while online after using malware to hack into his victims' computers.
The FBI's investigation began in March 2013, after an 18-year-old woman reported she was the subject of a hacking. That woman, identified by her initials, CW, in documents, is Orange County resident Cassidy Woolf, a former Miss Teen USA, who revealed last month she had been the victim of sextortion. (And, yes, "sextortion" is the term used by the FBI.)
According to the complaint, Abrahams used malicious software (malware) and tools to disguise his identity in order to obtain nude photos or videos of female victims through remote operation of their webcams without their consent. He reached the victims by email accounts he took over, and sometimes knew the women personally.
Then Abrahams would contact the women and demand they do as he wished, such as engage in Skype sessions, or he would post their nude photos on social media sites like Facebook.
The FBI adds:
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A forensic analysis of C.W.’s computer revealed evidence consistent with malware and remote administration tools later linked to Abrahams who used the domain name, “cutefuzzypuppy.” The same domain name was also linked to discussion boards in hacker forums by a participant researching, among other things, ways to spread malware and control webcams, according to the complaint.
Other victims, including some in other countries, relayed details of their online encounters with Abrahams in the complaint. One 17-year-old victim told Abrahams online "I'm downloading Skype now. Please remember I’m only 17. Have a heart,” to which Abrahams responded “I’ll tell you this right now! I do NOT have a heart!!! However I do stick to my deals! Also age doesn’t mean a thing to me!!!”
If convicted, Abrahams faces up to two years in federal prison.
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