Three Charged In Massive Credit Card Hacking Scheme
Posted on: Tuesday, 18 August 2009, 11:10 CDT
A Miami man was charged on Monday with the largest credit card number theft scheme in United States’ history.
The Justice Department announced on Monday that 28-year-old Albert Gonzalez and two unidentified men, known as “Hacker 1” and “Hacker 2”, are charged with hacking into systems to steal credit card data from more than 130 million credit and debit cards during October 2006.
The two co-conspirators are said to be living “in or near Russia,” according to the Justice Department.
"The scheme is believed to constitute the largest hacking and identity theft case ever prosecuted by the US Department of Justice," the US Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey said.
The hackers are accused of stealing card numbers and data from credit-card processor Heartland Payment Systems as well as retail firms 7-Eleven Inc and Hannaford Brothers Co.
All three men have been charged with conspiring to gain unauthorized access to computers, to commit fraud in connection with computers and to damage computers, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to Reuters.
Gonzalez was indicted last year in a case involving 10 hackers from five countries. The group was charged with stealing 41 million credit and debit card numbers to the tune of more than $400 million from a ring of retail firms such as TJ Maxx and Marshall’s stores.
Gonzalez, a former Secret Service informant, is currently living in a Brooklyn jail.
In May 2008, Gonzalez was charged in the Eastern District of New York for his alleged role in the hacking of a computer network run by a national restaurant chain. Trial on those charges is scheduled to begin in Long Island, N.Y., in September 2009.
If convicted, Gonzalez faces up to 30 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy charges as well as 5 years for conspiracy and fines of $250,000 for each charge.
---
On the Net:
Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
Related Articles
- 13 Indicted in $3M Credit Card Fraud
- Katrina Credit-Card Charges Questioned
- 'Let Consumers Pay Credit Card Charges'
- No More Credit Card Payments at Pumps
- Online Fraud 'Ahead' of Credit-Card Companies
- Common Sense May Prevent Credit Card Fraud
- Cops: Woman Uses Ex's Credit Card for Hit
- Man Accused of Double-Swiping Credit Cards
- Single-Use Credit Cards Help Fight Fraud
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds