American Entrepreneur Earned $25 Million Unlocking T-Mobile Smartphones

According to U.S. law enforcement, Argishti Khudaverdyan owned a store that partnered with the mobile carrier T-Mobile. From 2014 to 2019, he used stolen credentials from more than 50 T-Mobile employees to unlock smartphones, allowing them to work with SIM cards from other carriers. Over five years, Khudaverdyan managed to unlock hundreds of thousands of smartphones.

To obtain these credentials, the enterprising American used phishing and social engineering tactics, tricking T-Mobile employees into giving him their logins and passwords. Khudaverdyan handled everything: he unlocked stolen and lost smartphones, and also offered his services online, unlocking devices remotely.

It’s worth noting that he didn’t work alone—he had an accomplice, Alen Garehbaglou. Both were charged with fraud and unauthorized access to computer systems.

Khudaverdyan faces at least two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, and up to 165 years for charges related to wire fraud, money laundering, and unauthorized computer access. The jury has already found him guilty. Sentencing is scheduled for October 17, 2022.