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June 26, 2007
International secret service operation nabs ID theft ring
Online fraud beleived to have caused £7m losses
By Robert McMillan, IDG News Service
The US secret service and French police has cracked down on an international ID theft ring accued of more than $14m (£7m) worth of fraud.
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French police arrested four people on online fraud charges on 12 June, acting on information provided by the secret service, the US agency said.
The arrests were part of an undercover investigation into the activities of an online criminal known by the alias "Lord Kaisersose", who is "associated with internet sites known for identity theft and financial fraud activities", the US secret service said.
Investigators found more than 28,000 stolen credit card and bank card numbers as a result of the operation. "Fraud losses associated with this investigation have exceeded $14m," the agency added.
A separate operation has closed down an illegal credit card selling scam based in Canada and France. Operation Hard Drive led to the arrest of two suspects, who are allegedly behind more than $1m (£500,000) in credit card fraud.
French police arrested an unnamed man - known by the alias THEEEEL on credit card selling websites – on charges relating to ID theft.
The second man, Canadian Nicholas Joehle, is alleged to have sold fake credit card readers, known as "skimmers", over the internet. The devices are often illegally used by employees at legitimate businesses that accept credit cards and are becoming a growing security problem.
Canadian police recovered 100 skimmers and uncovered a skimmer-making workshop and $30,000 (£15,000) in US and Canadian currency.
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