The investigation revealed a simple and budget-friendly way to find out everything about your neighbors.
In a joint investigation of the portals 404 Media and Court Watch, it is reported that the authorities of the state of Baltimore, USA, accused a man of running a service for quick and cheap disclosure of personal data of Americans. Shuby Charleron, the alleged creator of the TLO service, is accused of selling personal data to more than 5,000 victims.
The data source is TLOxp, a powerful TransUnion consumer credit reporting agency data processing tool used by debt collectors and law enforcement agencies. But in this case, the data was used for credit card fraud. Charleron, known in one of the messengers as "The Real Jwet King", managed the "TLO LOOK UPS" chat with almost 800 participants. The court record does not specify which app was used to communicate with clients.
The data purchase process started with sending the target's name and address to Charleron. Then, for $25, he provided the requested information. In one case in March 2022, Charleron provided the data of five people just 3 minutes after the payment was received. The information included dates of birth, social security numbers, and phone numbers of victims. In some cases, people's driving licenses were also disclosed.
The investigation does not disclose how Charleron obtained the data. According to the source, TLO has become a brand for data sellers on the black market, without always pointing to the real source of data. TransUnion confirmed the misuse of TLOxp, but noted that fraudsters sometimes use data from other sources.
In one case, the data buyer used it to activate credit cards in the names of 80 victims. The attacker made unauthorized purchases worth more than $90,000 over the course of almost a year.
A criminal case was opened against Charleron. It is noted that the service worked from February 2020 to May 5, 2023. The investigation links Charleron's IP addresses to his residences in Baltimore and Laurel, Maryland. The owner of the TLO bot, which is involved in the investigation, said that the news does not bother him. He said that he has been doing this for many years, and to block his accounts, a massive purge will be required. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service did not comment.
In a joint investigation of the portals 404 Media and Court Watch, it is reported that the authorities of the state of Baltimore, USA, accused a man of running a service for quick and cheap disclosure of personal data of Americans. Shuby Charleron, the alleged creator of the TLO service, is accused of selling personal data to more than 5,000 victims.
The data source is TLOxp, a powerful TransUnion consumer credit reporting agency data processing tool used by debt collectors and law enforcement agencies. But in this case, the data was used for credit card fraud. Charleron, known in one of the messengers as "The Real Jwet King", managed the "TLO LOOK UPS" chat with almost 800 participants. The court record does not specify which app was used to communicate with clients.
The data purchase process started with sending the target's name and address to Charleron. Then, for $25, he provided the requested information. In one case in March 2022, Charleron provided the data of five people just 3 minutes after the payment was received. The information included dates of birth, social security numbers, and phone numbers of victims. In some cases, people's driving licenses were also disclosed.
The investigation does not disclose how Charleron obtained the data. According to the source, TLO has become a brand for data sellers on the black market, without always pointing to the real source of data. TransUnion confirmed the misuse of TLOxp, but noted that fraudsters sometimes use data from other sources.
In one case, the data buyer used it to activate credit cards in the names of 80 victims. The attacker made unauthorized purchases worth more than $90,000 over the course of almost a year.
A criminal case was opened against Charleron. It is noted that the service worked from February 2020 to May 5, 2023. The investigation links Charleron's IP addresses to his residences in Baltimore and Laurel, Maryland. The owner of the TLO bot, which is involved in the investigation, said that the news does not bother him. He said that he has been doing this for many years, and to block his accounts, a massive purge will be required. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service did not comment.
