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| Africa North |
| Egypt detains 23 in US phishing investigation |
| 2009-10-09 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Egyptian authorities have detained 23 people for questioning in connection with an Internet "phishing" scheme that targeted U.S. citizens and banks, Egyptian security sources said on Thursday. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday that a multinational probe had uncovered a sophisticated U.S.-Egyptian phishing operation that fraudulently gathered personal data from thousands of people, and used it to defraud U.S. banks. U.S. authorities had detained 33 of 53 defendants named in a U.S. indictment in the case, the largest cyber crime investigation to date in the United States, the FBI said on its website. It added that Egypt had also charged 47 people. The Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement that Egyptian suspects in the case had been taken into custody, and security sources put the number of detainees at 23. The sources said all those detained were between 18 and 25 years old and were from the Nile Delta province of Daqahlia. The Interior Ministry said Egyptian police had confiscated 21 computers, a number of credit cards and checkbooks, and $8,900 in Egyptian and U.S. currencies. "The inquiries showed the presence of U.S. citizen suspects in the United States who agreed with Egyptians in Egypt to create a gang to seize U.S. citizens' money by obtaining their credit card details through fraud," an Interior Ministry statement said. The statement added that those involved in the scheme had accessed information of U.S. banks online, and made transfers to accounts in the United States. The money was immediately withdrawn by U.S. participants in the scheme. Later, the money was divided and wired to accomplices in Egypt, and redistributed, the interior ministry statement said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 I get multiples a day, since my email address is published on the the Burg. They just hoover 'em up and crank 'em out... |
| Posted by: Fred 2009-10-09 11:11 |
| #1 I have fended off phisher attacks. They copy internet banking sites, and ask account holders to enter banking details in realistic looking forms. They also seek out passwords to protected sites, and peddle these cheaply. |
| Posted by: Ulineper Scourge of the Veal Cutlets9295 2009-10-09 10:11 |