Hacker steals identities of multiple victims killed in Surfside condo collapse

Saturday, July 17, 2021
Hacker stole identities of multiple victims killed in Surfside condo collapse
Officials said the criminal is seeing the victims' names in the news and then stealing their identities.

SURFSIDE, Fla. -- Disturbing reports are emerging of a hacker taking advantage of those who were killed in the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside, Florida.

Officials said the criminal is seeing the victims' names in the news and then stealing their identities.

RELATED: 911 calls from Florida condo collapse reveal confusion, chaos as Surfside building came down

The 911 calls during the first moments of the deadly collapse of the condo building in Surfside, Florida, reveal chaos and confusion.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told WPLG that he is astonished and hopes that an arrest is soon made.

"(They) violated the rights of an individual, but worse than that, a deceased individual and a family that is grieving," he said.

RELATED: Florida building collapse: What we know about those missing, dead

Families are urged to check on the credit of their loved ones to make sure they too were not targeted.

"It's terrible," Burkett said. "I can't wait to put a face to these deeds right now, and I think all of South Florida is eager to see who would do something like this - what kind of person would do something like this. But I'm looking forward to our police department apprehending them, and they are out there looking. I wouldn't want to be that person right now."

WATCH | Security camera video shows moment of condo building collapse in Surfside, Florida

Chilling security camera video from an adjacent condominium captured the moment an apartment building collapsed in Surfside, Florida.

The mayor said he didn't want to disclose further details about how the hacker was able to steal the victims' identities because he did not believe it was helpful to release that information.

Authorities have not released further details about the crime or disclosed which victims were targeted.

VIDEO: Tourist records water pouring from Florida condo, rubble moments before collapse

Video recorded at Champlain Tower South minutes before its deadly collapse appears to show water pouring out of a ceiling in a parking garage.