Do you remember the first time you unlocked a phone? That tingling sense of power coursing through your veins? I do. It was the moment I realized I had a special skill, something that set me apart. I was merely a kid, but the thrill of cracking a code sparked something inside me.


It started innocently enough. My friend was frustrated with his locked screen, and as I took his phone, my fingers danced across the surface. A few trial and error attempts later, I had breached his digital fortress. His eyes wide and mouth agape, shouted, “How did you do that?”


Did I know, at that moment, this would be the beginning of my journey into the shadows of cybercrime?


By the time I reached my early teens, I was riding the wave of curiosity and adrenaline. What began with unlocking phones morphed into skimming information from unsuspecting victims. The art of exploiting vulnerabilities was fascinating. I would sit in my room, honing my skills, my computer screen glowing like a beacon in the darkness.

One day, while tinkering away, I stumbled upon a forum discussing credit card skimming. “This isn’t just a hobby; this could be a career,”

I thought. My friends were impressed, but deep down, did I know what I was getting into?


As my skills grew, so did my appetite for risk. I began stealing credit card information, using it to fund my ventures—new gadgets, video games, things that felt deserved. The thrill was intoxicating.

But it didn’t stop there. Fixing my friends' grades at school was just another game. I thrived on their gratitude and astonishment. “You're a genius!” they’d say. But inside, I could feel the weight of each secret I carried. Would I be caught? Would the walls close in around me?


One evening, as I prepared for yet another hacking session, a message pinged on my computer. It was an invite to an underground hacking group. The thrill of the unknown pulled at me like a moth to a flame. Do you think I should dive in?


With trembling hands, I clicked the link. It was a decision that spiraled me deeper into a world where no rules existed. I became someone I wasn't.


As the months passed, the stakes grew higher. The authorities were cracking down on cybercrime, and whispers of a crackdown against hackers reverberated through the digital world. I found myself watching my back constantly—every ping, every notification became a reason to panic. Then came that fateful day. Could I escape?


A knock on my door shattered my world. My heart raced as I opened it to find two officers. “We’re here to talk about your online activities.”


In the sterile confines of the police station, I faced a choice—confess and take responsibility or lie and hope for the best. Deep down, I felt the weight of my actions crashing down on me. It was time for accountability.