Feds Net 38 In Global Phishing Busts

Crime Ring Allegedly Stole Social Security Numbers, Credit Card Data From Internet Users

(AP)  Thirty-eight people were charged Monday with stealing names, Social Security numbers, credit card data and other personal information from unsuspecting Internet users as part of a global crime ring.

The Romanian-based phishing scams sought to rip off thousands of consumers and hundreds of financial institutions, according to indictments unsealed in Los Angeles and New Haven, Conn.

The two related cases marked the latest example of what the Justice Department describes as a growing worldwide threat posed by organized crime.

"International organized crime poses a serious threat not only to the United States and Romania, but to all nations," Deputy Attorney General Mark R. Filip said in a statement from Bucharest, where he announced the charges. "Criminals who exploit the power and convenience of the Internet do not recognize national borders; therefore our efforts to prevent their attacks cannot end at our borders either."

The practice known as phishing typically involves sending fraudulent e-mails that include links directing recipients to fake Web sites where they are asked to input sensitive data. Phishers may also include attachments that, when clicked, secretly install "spyware" that can capture personal information and send it to third parties over the Internet.

More than half of the people charged in Monday's cases are Romanian, although the alleged scam also operated from the United States, Canada, Portugal and Pakistan. The cases were linked by two Romanians who participated in both schemes, authorities said.

In Los Angeles, 33 people faced a 65 counts on a bevy of charges, including racketeering, bank fraud and identity theft. Prosecutors say phishers based in Romania snagged information about thousands of credit and debit card accounts and other personal data from people who answered spam e-mail. The data were then sent to the U.S. and encoded on magnetic cards that could be used to withdraw money from bank accounts.

One encoder in the scam, identified only as Seuong Wook Lee, pleaded guilty last week in federal court in Los Angeles to racketeering conspiracy, bank fraud, access device fraud and unauthorized access of a protected computer.

Meanwhile, in Connecticut, seven Romanians allegedly spammed consumers with directions to visit a hacked-in Web site posing as at least a half-dozen legitimate bank sites, including Citibank, Wells Fargo and PayPal. The seven Romanians - including two also involved in the Los Angeles scheme - were indicted in January in charges that were unsealed only last week. One of them, Ovidiu-Ionut Nicola-Roman, was arrested in Bulgaria last summer and extradited to the United States in November.

[rational_1]

I think they should be sentenced to 10 years of exclusively using Microsoft software - with that annoying paperclip constantly dispensing useless advice. That''ll teach ''em!

[rf35]

Slow news day?

I think that "paper clip" is really a cartoon of Bill Gates!

[neobrian-2009]

An Idiot ??Slow news day?

Posted by rf35 at 01:26 PM : May 19, 2008----------
THIS IS a MAJOR Problem Einstein!

[sistatee-2009]

This is the police. Send us all your credit card numbers, bank account numbers, social security number, drivers license number, address and date of birth to help us arrest an internet scammer. Also, leave the keys to your car in the ignition in case we need to use it.

[brianbwb-2009]

Thanks to the "warrantless wiretapping" perversion of law, all this and more data is now in the hands of corrupt bureaucrats anayway, so to bust 38 people is like shaving an atom from a mountaintop.

[nothappyatall]

The practice known as phishing typically involves sending fraudulent e-mails that include links directing recipients to fake Web sites where they are asked to input sensitive data. Phishers may also include attachments that, when clicked, secretly install "spyware" that can capture personal information and send it to third parties over the Internet. "


Oh gezus come on already! this scam is as old as the hills, youd have to be living in a CAVE not to know about or heard of this krap. We get inundated with warnings about NEVER EVER BUT NEVER open ANY attached files EVER!!!! and NEVER but NEVER click on links in emails!!! and what do morons do, they open attachments and click on the links anyway. Its the dumbing down of Americans, I swear, you have to protect idiots from themselves these days. I say to hel1 with em, if someone is that stupid and dense then they deserve to be scammed.

[irliberal]

Actually, phishing, hacking, and all other assorted, intentional interruption, corruption of data or stealing of data are very serious crimes.

I say FRY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. Or, at the very least, singe them for 15-20 years.

Oh, and rational_1, I think they should be forced to PAY for mac software, assuming there''s any written for what they need to do. Moron. Silly people coming here with there little, personal, petty vindictive agendas that have nothing to do with the topic at hand.

[michellem99-2009]

newster Dear Yer preaching on deaf ears. The bloody fools will do anything for a fast buck. They have been told to have a fire wall..I can hear it now what.The TV stations do stories on this. They can buy a good book on computer basics and learn from us.Hear it that they steal yer blind. I am but IF AN EMAIL ASK FOR CERTAIN THINGS THAT YER KNOW THEY SHOULD NOT. It be a red flag . I will be moving to Vista. I told my friend if yer give out my e mail address I want to know who. They target the seniors. The handicapped.
Sista Tee No way.