A cyber hacker has admitted to stealing unreleased music from several major recording artists, including Coldplay, Shawn Mendes and Bebe Rexha, and posting them on the dark web for profit.
According to a new report from the BBC, the now-arrested thief, 22-year-old Skylar Dalziel, illegally accessed a cloud storage account to sell songs on the dark web, making more than £42,000.
Dalziel, from Luton, England, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of copyright infringement 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 crime first came to light in June 2021 after Sony Music discovered a breach of a cloud account linked to American artist Upsahl.
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Ultimately, police discovered that Dalziel had stolen 40 unreleased tracks and sold them online.
Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt of the City of London Police condemned her actions, saying: “Stealing copyrighted material for your own financial gain is illegal. It jeopardizes work.” of artists and the livelihoods of those who work with them.”
Authorities linked Dalziel to the crime through an account on an online forum where unreleased music was sold.
According to reports, police arrested her on January 9, 2023 and seized three hard drives containing nearly 292,000 music tracks.
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A spreadsheet found on Dalziel’s device revealed her sales history, showing she had received payments totaling £42,049 (about $52,280 in US currency).
Some of the money was transferred to a US bank account, prompting cooperation between the City of London Police and Homeland Security Investigations to track down accomplices.
Dalziel also admitted charges of transferring and possessing criminal property. Prosecutors said she “selfishly used her music to make money for herself”.
The incident highlights how cybercrime threatens creative industries.
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Organizations such as the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) played important roles in defining Dalziel’s activities. They worked with police to trace the theft and prevent further sales.
Furthermore, the court’s decision should send a warning to potential hackers. Det. Constable Fryatt added, “We have the capabilities and tools to locate cyber criminals and hold them accountable for their actions.”
Tags Coldplay, Shawn Mendes, Bebe Rexha, Sony