Crime & Safety
Massachusetts College Student Hacked Personal Data Of Millions And Demanded Ransom, U.S. Attorney Says
"Make the correct decision and pay the ransom," Lane said, according to the U.S. attorney. "If you keep stalling, it will be leaked."
Updated on: May 22, 2025
Massachusetts college student Matthew Lane will plead guilty to charges that include cyber extortion after allegedly stealing the personal data of millions and then demanding ransom payments, the U.S. attorney says.
Find out what's happening in Worcesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Lane, a Sterling resident, is a student at Assumption University in Worcester, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said. He has agreed to plead guilty to charges of cyber extortion conspiracy, cyber extortion, unauthorized access to protected computers and aggravated identity theft.
Investigators say Lane used stolen login credentials to get customer data from a telecommunications company and a software company used by schools in the United States, Canada and other countries. In the spring of 2024, Lane used an anonymous email address to demand a ransom of $200,000 in Bitcoin from the telecommunications company, charging documents say.
Find out what's happening in Worcesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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