Ex-Doctor Hacks Into Cellphones, Emails, Social Media Accounts of Female High School Classmates: Police

Police arrested a former Philadelphia doctor accused of hacking in the email, cellphone and social media accounts of several women who he was classmates with in high school.

Peter Grossman, 29, is charged with impersonation and theft of identity, elements of computer theft and invasion of privacy.

Investigators say Grossman, who worked as a physician at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, illegally gained access to the accounts of several of his female classmates from Delran High School in Burlington County, New Jersey where he graduated in 2005. Grossman allegedly made digital copies of more than 2,000 personal photographs.

The investigation began in September of 2016 after one of the women went to the Delran Police Department reporting she suspected her email and cellphone accounts had been illegally accessed. After officials identified Grossman as a suspect, they executed a search warrant at his home in Philadelphia and seized six of his electronic devices that had digital storage capabilities, investigators said. They then found photographs of 25 women, 12 of whom have been identified, according to officials.

Investigators say Grossman also illegally gained access to their iCloud, Snapfish and Facebook accounts. The accounts included passwords that were easily determined by information posted on the victims' public profiles.

“This case presents an excellent warning concerning passwords, and why they must be complex in order to withstand attempts by hackers and anybody else to gain access to private accounts,” Burlington County Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi said. “Using the name of a child or some other known personal detail will often result in a password that is vulnerable to being hacked.”

Officials are still trying to identify the remaining women in the photographs. If you believe you’re a victim please call the Delran Police Department at 856-461-4498 extension 149.