In Japan, police recently arrested three teenagers—aged 14 to 16—for using an artificial intelligence tool called ChatGPT to break into a phone company’s system, create fake phone numbers, and sell them for money. The company they targeted was Rakuten Mobile, and the students made about 7.5 million yen (roughly $50,000 USD) illegally. They now face charges for breaking a law called the Unauthorized Access Prevention Act and for “computer fraud,” which means using computers to trick or steal from others.
Who Were the Teenagers?
The group included a 15-year-old junior high school student from Shiga Prefecture, a 16-year-old high school student from Gifu Prefecture, and a 14-year-old junior high school student from Tokyo. They didn’t know each other in person but met while playing an online game. Using an app called Telegram, they bought over 3 billion sets of Rakuten Telecom customer usernames and passwords. Then, they used ChatGPT—an AI program that can write text or code—to create a tool that automatically logged into Rakuten’s system about 220,000 times. This let them sign up for over 100 eSIMs, which are digital phone numbers you can use without a physical SIM card. They sold these eSIMs to make money.
Why Rakuten Mobile?
Rakuten Mobile was an easy target because its security rules were not very strict. For example, one account could sign up for up to 15 phone numbers without extra proof of identity. Other phone companies usually limit this to five numbers and require more checks. The Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that the teenagers picked Rakuten for this reason.
How Did They Work Together?
The three students split up the tasks. The 16-year-old high school student wrote the hacking program using ChatGPT. The other two, aged 14 and 15, sold the eSIMs they created. They earned their 7.5 million yen mostly in cryptocurrency, a type of digital money that’s hard to trace. Police also suspect they stole credit card information, making an extra 3.5 million yen (about $23,000 USD) illegally.
What People Are Saying
A person on X named YASYA_STEEL posted: “Lotte Telecom may demand compensation from them, and their future is in jeopardy.” This means Rakuten Mobile (not Lotte Telecom, which seems to be a mistake in the original post) might ask the teenagers to pay back the money they made, and their actions could cause big problems for their lives ahead.
生成ＡＩ悪用し楽天モバイルに不正アクセス、１０００件以上の回線入手し転売か…容疑で中高生３人逮捕 #ldnews https://t.co/0LpWzk28AC
楽モバから賠償請求で人生詰むな、こりゃ。
— 安屋リユース_(:3」∠)_ (@YASYA_STEEL) February 26, 2025
What Does This Mean?
This case shows that Rakuten Mobile’s system has weaknesses, especially in how it checks people’s identities. It also highlights a growing problem: young people using AI tools like ChatGPT to commit crimes online. Because of this, Japanese police plan to watch juvenile cybercrime more closely. The government and companies are also talking about making tougher laws to protect against these kinds of attacks.
Why It Matters
AI tools are becoming more common, and while they can be helpful, this case shows they can also be used for illegal activities. The teenagers’ actions caused real harm, and now they face serious consequences. It’s a warning that companies need better security and that society needs to figure out how to handle powerful technology responsibly.
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