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FBI Snags 24 Suspected Credit Card Hackers

Feds lured them onto fake website in sting

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 26, 2012 6:37 PM CDT

(Newser) – Federal agents have been watching websites where hackers illegally distribute credit card data—and their work has paid off. Today, they arrested 11 people in the US and 13 overseas, reports Reuters. Under the two-year sting, agents set up a fake online forum of their own where people could trade stolen account numbers. The arrest foiled about $200 million in bogus purchases involving more than 400,000 compromised cards, authorities say.

All of the suspects are males between the ages of 18 to 25, which might have been apparent by screen names like “JoshTheGod" and “IwearaMAGNUM.” Some of those charged face 40 years in prison if convicted. Their arrests will cause a "significant disruption to the underground economy," an FBI spokeswoman tells the New York Times.

In this file photo, consumer credit cards are posed in North Andover, Mass.
In this file photo, consumer credit cards are posed in North Andover, Mass.   (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 9 comments
cheongyei
Jun 26, 2012 9:43 PM CDT
Smart enough but lacking ethically.
lvan
Jun 26, 2012 8:14 PM CDT
umm ... hackers are smart. Ponder about that a little bit.
Nimitz
Jun 26, 2012 8:02 PM CDT
If anyone is interested in learning the only way to become impervious to credit card hacking and theft, just lemme know. Hint: when the guy on the commercial asks 'what's in your wallet,' think CASH!
 

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