A 44-year-old Greek-Australian man from Perth, Michael Clapsis, has been sentenced to seven years and four months in prison for setting up "evil twin" Wi-Fi networks at airports and on domestic flights, alongside a long-term pattern of hacking women's online accounts to steal intimate photos and videos.
The case emerged in April 2024 when Qantas crew detected a rogue Wi-Fi signal mimicking the airline's in-flight portal. Australian Federal Police (AFP) linked it to Clapsis, who deployed a modified Wi-Fi Pineapple device to create fake hotspots at airports in Perth, Melbourne, and Adelaide.
These deceptive networks lured users into entering credentials on phony login pages, capturing email addresses, social media credentials, and potentially banking details.
Upon landing at Perth Airport, authorities searched Clapsis's luggage, confiscating the device, a laptop, and a phone. A home search in Palmyra revealed extensive additional crimes.
Investigators uncovered over 700 stolen intimate images and videos from 17 women—some containing nudity or sexual content—spanning six years since at least 2015. Victims included a 17-year-old and acquaintances, with files meticulously organized by name. Clapsis accessed or attempted access to accounts of at least seven women.
In a bid to obstruct justice, he remotely wiped his phone, deleted 1,752 files, and spied on AFP briefings by unauthorized access to his employer's laptop.
On November 28, 2025, in Perth District Court, Judge Darren Renton labeled the offenses "systemic," highlighting profound victim impact and risks to Qantas's reputation. Clapsis pleaded guilty to charges including unauthorized data modification, possession of data for serious crimes, and dealing in personal financial information.
Defense counsel noted his autism spectrum disorder (unrelated to the crimes), deep shame, and motivation of "sexual voyeurism"—with no sharing of images. A father-of-three and former IT professional earning $160,000 annually, Clapsis lost his job in 2024 and resorted to casual work.
He becomes eligible for parole around 2030.
The AFP advises travelers to avoid unsolicited public Wi-Fi logins, enable VPNs, and forget networks post-use.
This incident highlights vulnerabilities in public Wi-Fi and the personal devastation from privacy invasions using readily available tools.
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