101 arrested in global phishing crackdown
A total of 101 people have been arrested and charged over their alleged involvement in phishing scams. The suspects, from the US and Egypt, are accused of tricking users into handing over online bank passwords which may have led to the theft of up to $2 million.
In the type of pun journalists wish they could keep for themselves, the FBI dubbed the two-year investigation “Operation Phish Fry.” The bureau today obtained federal indictments against 53 people in the US. Those who are already in custody have been formally charged, while the rest are currently being hunted down. One extra defendant has been indicted in a state court and will presumably be feeling a little left out. Meanwhile 47 people have been charged in Egypt over the same case.
According to the indictment, the ringleaders were Jonathan Preston Clark, Kenneth Joseph Lucas and Nichole Michelle Merzi, all in their mid-20s. They recruited 16 of the defendants to join the gang, with those recruits bringing in other people.
The US gang members used phishing techniques to get hold of details of online accounts at Bank of America and Wells Fargo. They then passed these details on to Egyptian colleagues who would access the accounts and send cash back to accounts set up by the US gang members. They’d then share out the money amongst everyone involved.
The 44 specific offenses listed in the indictment involved the theft of money ranging from $320 to $2950. Given the FBI’s estimate of a total of $2 million, it appears just a tiny proportion of the transactions believed to have taken place are covered by the charges.
Everyone named in the indictment faces up to 20 years in prison for bank fraud and wire fraud, though some may face lengthier sentences depending on their involvement.
It’s not yet clear why the scammers chose to include people from Egypt as part of the operation. The country does have an extradition treaty with the United States.
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