FBI Arrests 53 Over Bank Phishing Scam
By Anna Johnson on October 14th, 2009The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation is arresting 53 people over a large-scale phishing scam, where Internet users were tricked into revealing their bank account information.
Evidently the scam resulted in the theft of $2 million between 2007 and September 2009. According to the FBI, this is the largest group of defendants it has charged over cybercrime.
The FBI alleges that the defendants sent emails appearing to be from banks, which in turn linked to websites that looked identical to real bank sites. Victims were prompted to enter their bank account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers and drivers’ license numbers.
According the FBI, the U.S. based mastermind behind the operation was Kenneth Joseph Lucas, 25, who was assisted by John Clarke, a friend, and Nichole Merzi, a former girlfriend.
The FBI began investigating the scam in early 2007, when alerted to the fraud by various U.S. banks. The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Make no mistake, phishing is a mammoth problem and the FBI’s case against this particular group of individuals is a drop in the ocean. But it’s a welcome drop and I hope, if the FBI proves its case, that the authorities come down hard on those responsible for this phishing scam. At the very least it will send a message to others that a crime of this nature carries serious consequences.
Source: Brad Stone, “F.B.I. Indicts Dozens in Online Bank Fraud,” The New York Times, October 7, 2009
