Federal Trade Commission Halts Online Scam Worth $10 Million

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said on June 28, 2010 that a federal court ordered to cease the complicated global scheme that stole $10 Million out of over 1 Million people's debit/credit card accounts.

The Commission states that the accountholders found a debit of around $10 from their accounts and these charges got transmitted via fake companies in the USA to a number of bank accounts in Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan and Cyprus.

The FTC further claims that the defendants used spam mails to recruit 14 U.S "money mules" i.e. individuals paid for setting up 16 fake companies, creating bank accounts where the card charges would be deposited, and transmitting the cash abroad.

The spam mail posed as though it was searching for a finance manager in the USA to serve a global financial services firm. Consequently, responses flowed in from the money-mules.

Commenting on the issue, security researchers state that in the majority of instances, the unwary people, who are converted into money mules, do not understand that they've been pulled into a sinister ring laundering money till the time their bank or agencies of law enforcement approach them.

In the current instance, after the recruitment of money mules, they were told a tale, following which they got money transfers, withdrew most of the sum as well as transmitted it through wire-transfer to an international money-drop. From there, the cash reached the actual crooks.

James P. Smith (residing in Brownwood Texas), one of the mules, wrote in a letter to the judge presiding on the case that he worked to serve one scammer in the ring for 4-years without any knowledge of illicit activities going on.

According to him, he now feels "ashamed" that his name is in the FTC allegation. Smith further says he is ready to assist in finding his ex-boss alias Alex Moore.

Meanwhile, the FTC further on June 28, 2010 that by utilizing fake company names mimicking genuine organizations, and details of ID-theft victims inside the USA, the defendants created over 100 accounts with a special category of firms, which treat payments debited to people's debit/credit cards.

According to FTC, no communication had been sent to any affected cardholder from the alleged fraudsters.

Related article: Federal Secret Service Investigates Security Breach on Municipal Court Site

» SPAMfighter News - 7/9/2010