Man
Professional
- Messages
- 3,222
- Reaction score
- 810
- Points
- 113
The swindler deceived thousands of elderly people.
Italian police have detained an Australian citizen wanted in the United States for participating in an international cyber fraud scheme that has targeted the elderly and other vulnerable populations. According to the investigation, the damage from the actions of the criminal group amounted to about 31 million US dollars (approximately 46 million Australian dollars).
The 44-year-old man, whose name has not yet been disclosed, was put on the international wanted list more than three years ago and, according to police, is Italian-Australian. His detention took place at Malpensa Airport in Milan after arriving on a flight from Singapore. The arrest was made on the basis of a warrant issued by a North Carolina court, following an investigation conducted jointly by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Italian cyber police.
The fraud scheme was built on penetrating the computer systems of victims. An error message appeared on user screens, followed by a recommendation to contact a special call center for technical support. The attackers persuaded the victims to pay for technical assistance, but the victims did not receive any result. As a result of the actions of this group, the attackers were able to receive illegal income in the amount of $31 million.
According to the police, the criminal organization operated around the world, but the exact number of victims and their geography, except for the United States, remain unclear. It is not known how many people have fallen victim to this scheme outside the United States.
During the arrest, the suspect was found to have a large amount of cash in euros, several computers, credit cards and expensive watches. Currently, the Australian is in the Busto Arsizio prison, located 35 kilometers north of Milan. In the next two days, the detainee will appear before a judge to decide on extradition to the United States. In the United States, the fraudster faces up to 30 years in prison on charges of computer fraud, computer security breach, and money laundering.
Such a long period is due to the fact that among the victims there are more than 10 people over 55 years old. In July, Italian police already arrested another cybercriminal, who was also wanted by the FBI.
Source
Italian police have detained an Australian citizen wanted in the United States for participating in an international cyber fraud scheme that has targeted the elderly and other vulnerable populations. According to the investigation, the damage from the actions of the criminal group amounted to about 31 million US dollars (approximately 46 million Australian dollars).
The 44-year-old man, whose name has not yet been disclosed, was put on the international wanted list more than three years ago and, according to police, is Italian-Australian. His detention took place at Malpensa Airport in Milan after arriving on a flight from Singapore. The arrest was made on the basis of a warrant issued by a North Carolina court, following an investigation conducted jointly by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Italian cyber police.
The fraud scheme was built on penetrating the computer systems of victims. An error message appeared on user screens, followed by a recommendation to contact a special call center for technical support. The attackers persuaded the victims to pay for technical assistance, but the victims did not receive any result. As a result of the actions of this group, the attackers were able to receive illegal income in the amount of $31 million.
According to the police, the criminal organization operated around the world, but the exact number of victims and their geography, except for the United States, remain unclear. It is not known how many people have fallen victim to this scheme outside the United States.
During the arrest, the suspect was found to have a large amount of cash in euros, several computers, credit cards and expensive watches. Currently, the Australian is in the Busto Arsizio prison, located 35 kilometers north of Milan. In the next two days, the detainee will appear before a judge to decide on extradition to the United States. In the United States, the fraudster faces up to 30 years in prison on charges of computer fraud, computer security breach, and money laundering.
Such a long period is due to the fact that among the victims there are more than 10 people over 55 years old. In July, Italian police already arrested another cybercriminal, who was also wanted by the FBI.
Source
