An international investigation involving law enforcement agencies from Vietnam, the US and the UK has resulted in the closing down of what is thought to have been one of the world's most significant web forums for trading in stolen credit card data.
Last week, police officers in Vietnam arrested eight individuals believed to be members of the group that set up the website, while police officers in the UK arrested three men who had allegedly made significant use of the website.
According to the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), the website, known as “mattfeuter”, is believed to have enabled its 16,000 members to carry out card frauds worth in the region of $200 million.
The site apparently operated by “hacking” into legitimate commercial organisations to steal and then sell on data relating to approximately 1.1 million card users. The “members” of the website had a secure login and could order the number and type of credit card details they required.
The investigation is still ongoing, says SOCA, with authorities now targeting other members of the forum.
Intelligence continues to be shared between international law enforcement agencies and further arrests are anticipated.
Contact Lewis Nedas’ Criminal Lawyers in London
If you have been charged with computer crime or credit card fraud and require specialist legal advice please contact our solicitors Jeffrey Lewis or Siobhain Egan on 020 7387 2032 or complete our online enquiry form here.
This blog post is intended as a news item only - no connection between Lewis Nedas and the parties concerned is intended or implied.
