Russia Detains Suspect in Clone Carding & Online Fraud Scheme!!!
FROM A
DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW by Monte Friesner .....
Financial Crime Consultant for WANTED SA
~ Monday October 18, 2010
~ WANTED SA has learned today that Russian authorities have detained a Ukrainian national who oversaw a group that manufactured fraudulent payment cards and identity documents, according to information from the country's Interior Ministry on Monday.
The group -- whose members also included Russian and Armenian nationals -- stole money from the accounts of 17 Russian credit organizations as well as foreign banks, causing more than US$660,225 in damages.
Authorities seized 100 fraudulent cards, computer equipment and an "encoder," which can replicate the magnetic stripe information of a legitimate card onto a fraudulent one. The frauds occurred between January and June, the ministry said.
The Interior Ministry did not say if the action was related to a wide-ranging sting operation in the U.S., U.K and Ukraine last week related to the use of the Zeus banking malware. An Interior Ministry official was unable to provide further information on Tuesday morning.
Authorities in those countries arrested more than 100 people, charging them with offenses ranging from money laundering to passport fraud to conspiracy. Many of those arrested were so-called "money mules," who agree to receive stolen funds into bank accounts and then subsequently wire the money to their superiors in the gang.
Despite the vague press release, Russia's actions should be applauded, wrote Gary Warner, director of research in computer forensics with the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
"While there are really not enough details to proclaim this to be Zeus, it's still praise-worthy action by the Russian government against criminals who are harming American interests over the Internet,”.
The facts and opinions stated in this article are those of the author and not those of WANTED SA. WANTED SA does not warrant the accuracy of any facts and opinions stated in this article; does not endorse them, and accepts no responsibility for them.
