A Perth man has been sent to jail for stealing private videos from women and creating a fake Wi-Fi network to trick airline passengers.
The 44-year-old’s crimes have shocked the aviation industry and left many victims feeling violated.
The Fake Wi-Fi Scheme
The trouble started in April 2024 when workers at Qantas spotted something suspicious.
They found a Wi-Fi network that looked exactly like the real Qantas Wi-Fi that passengers typically use. This fake network was set up to trick people into connecting to it.
Police soon discovered that Michael Clapsis was behind the scheme. He used a special device called a Wi-Fi Pineapple nano to create what authorities call an “evil twin” network.
When passengers connected to his fake Wi-Fi, Clapsis could steal their passwords and personal information.
The Wi-Fi scheme was only part of Clapsis’s crimes. When arrested at Perth airport, police discovered something much darker.
For over six years, Clapsis had been stealing private photos and videos from women’s personal online accounts.
In total, he stole or copied more than 700 intimate images and videos from 17 women and girls. Some of his victims were just teenagers. Many of the stolen images showed nudity and sexual content.
Clapsis knew some of his victims personally. One victim was even a police officer. When these women found out what he had done, they felt shocked and betrayed.
Attempting to Hide Evidence
When police arrested Clapsis, he tried desperately to cover his tracks. He attempted to wipe his phone and delete nearly 1,800 items from his computer most of these deleted files contained intimate photos of women.
According to Australian Federal Police (AFP), he even tried to secretly access his employer’s laptop to see what they were telling police about the investigation. This showed how far he was willing to go to hide his crimes.
In court, Judge Darren Renton described Clapsis’s behavior as “systemic offending” that went on for many years.
The judge said Clapsis’s actions had hurt many victims, leaving them feeling violated, ashamed, and unsafe.
The judge also noted that Clapsis’s crimes could damage Qantas’s reputation and passenger trust in the airline.
Clapsis’s lawyer said his client had autism spectrum disorder and felt deep shame for his actions. However, the judge was not swayed by this argument.
In the end, Clapsis received a sentence of seven years and four months in prison. He will not be eligible for parole until 2030.
Since his arrest in April 2024, he has lost his job and has struggled to find work.
This case highlights the grave dangers of cybercrime and privacy violations. It also raises important questions about security at airports and on aircraft.
Passengers should be extra careful when connecting to Wi-Fi networks while traveling.
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