Australian Man Sentenced for Launching Fake Wi-Fi Attacks at Airports and on Flights

A Perth man has been jailed for nearly seven and a half years after setting up fake Wi-Fi networks at Australian airports and on Qantas flights to steal passenger data, alongside years of secretly stealing intimate images from women’s personal accounts.

Michael Clapsis, 44, was arrested at Perth Airport in April 2024 after Qantas employees discovered a suspicious Wi-Fi network aboard a domestic flight that copied the airline’s legitimate portal.

Australian Federal Police identified this as an “evil twin” network designed to intercept passenger information.

The fake Wi-Fi scheme, while serious, revealed something far more disturbing. Investigators uncovered that Clapsis had systematically stolen over 700 intimate photos and videos from 17 women and girls over more than six years.

Many images contained nudity and sexual content. One victim was just 17 years old, and another was a police officer.

Clapsis used a modified Wi-Fi Pineapple Nano device to redirect Qantas passengers from legitimate Wi-Fi to his fake service, capturing their passwords and personal data.

The court also heard he had been attempting to access or had accessed accounts belonging to seven victims since at least 2015.

After his arrest, Clapsis tried unsuccessfully to destroy evidence by remotely wiping his phone and deleting over 1,750 items from his laptop containing mostly intimate images of women.

He also remotely accessed his employer’s laptop to view confidential meetings between his employer and the Australian Federal Police regarding the investigation.

During sentencing in Perth District Court, Judge Darren Renton described Clapsis’s crimes as “systemic” offending spanning several years with multiple victims.

He noted the psychological impact on victims, who reported feeling violated, humiliated, and unsafe. The judge also highlighted potential damage to Qantas’s brand reputation.

Victims expressed shock and violation when learning their private information had been stolen. One victim stated Clapsis “severely invaded my privacy without consent,” while another said they felt “exposed and unsafe.”

Clapsis’s lawyer argued his client struggled with shame over his actions and had autism spectrum disorder.

The defendant lost his job following his arrest and had been attempting to work as an odd-job man since then.

The court imposed a total sentence of seven years and four months. Clapsis will be eligible for parole in 2030.

The case highlights serious vulnerabilities in public Wi-Fi security and the ongoing threat posed by cybercriminals exploiting personal devices at transportation hubs.

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