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Tag: access device fraud

  • BULLETIN: Feds Say Romanian Hackers Breached Computers Of Subway Sandwich Restaurants And More Than 50 Other Retailers; Credit-Card Data Of 80,000 Customers Compromised And ‘Millions Of Dollars Of Unauthorized Purchases Have Been Made’

    BULLETIN: Three Romanian nationals have been arrested in the aftermath of a successful hacking bid that compromised the computer systems of Subway sandwich restaurants and 50 other retailers, the Justice Department, federal prosecutors in New Hampshire and the U.S. Secret Service said.

    One Romanian national remains at large. Authorities said credit-card data from tens of thousands of customers was compromised and that “millions of dollars of unauthorized purchases have been made using the compromised data.”

    Arrested were Adrian-Tiberiu Oprea, 27, of Constanta, Romania; Iulian Dolan, 27, of Craiova, Romania; and Cezar Iulian Butu, 26, of Ploiesti, Romania.

    Florin Radu, 23, of Rimnicu Vilcea, Romania, remains at large, U.S. officials said. The scam operated “from approximately 2008 until May 2011” and involved “U.S.-based merchants’ point-of-sale . . . or ‘checkout’ computer systems.’”

    Although the officials said the breach affected about 150 Subway outlets — less than 1 percent of the chain’s restaurants — the data theft from Subway and the other retailers affected more than 80,000 customers.

    Subway is a well-known international franchise based in Milford, Conn. The 46-year-old company is famous for its sandwiches — and also its television commercials featuring Jared Fogle. Fogle became famous in his own right after his weight ballooned to 425 pounds as a college freshman and he became trim again after losing nearly 250 pounds by eating healthy food from Subway.

    Subway is an internationally famous franchise that calls its service staff "Sandwich Artists." One of the firm's "Sandwich Artists" is Sara Manchipp, the reigning Miss Wales.

    All four of the suspects have been charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, wire fraud and access device fraud.

    Oprea was arrested last week in Romania and is detained there, prosecutors said.

    “Dolan and Butu were arrested upon their entry into the United States on Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, 2011,” prosecutors said.

    Details on why Dolan and Butu were arrested upon entry were not immediately clear. The hacking was performed “remotely,” officials said.

     

  • KABOOM! Vladislav Horohorin Arrested In France On U.S. Warrant After Undercover Operation On Forums; Secret Service Will Traverse The Globe ‘In Pursuit Of Online Criminals,’ Agency Says

    EDITOR’S NOTE: The arrest of Vladislav Horohorin is notable on a number of levels. First, the arrest in Europe was a result of an online fraud scheme that allegedly crossed international borders and made its way to the United States, where criminal charges were filed.  At the same time, the crime allegedly involved the transfer of money though international payment processors. Perhaps more than anything, however, the case against Horohorin  demonstrates that the U.S. Secret Service is “plugged into” forums that promote international lawlessness. His arrest is very bad news for credit-card crooks and HYIP and autosurf Ponzi schemers — and their corrupt colleagues.

    Here, now, the story on the arrest of Horohorin . . .

    A credit-card trafficker based in Russia has been arrested in France on U.S. charges after the U.S. Secret Service infiltrated an online scheme operating internationally through Internet forums, the Justice Department said.

    Undercover Secret Service agents “negotiated the sale of numerous stolen credit card dumps,” the Justice Department said.

    Vladislav Anatolievich Horohorin, 27, was arrested in Nice.  He was indicted under seal in November 2009 on U.S. charges of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. The seal was lifted today.

    Authorities said they believed he was “one of the most prolific sellers of stolen data” in the world, noting Horohorin was known in web forums as “BadB.” He lived in Moscow, and was a citizen of both Israel and the Ukraine.

    The Justice Department revealed today that the U.S. Secret Service used an “online undercover identity” to interact with operators of the international scheme, which featured the sale of stolen credit-card information known as “dumps.”

    Payments were transferred through online currency services, including a service known as “Webmoney” that was hosted in Russia, the Justice Department said.

    “Cyber criminals who target U.S citizens should not fool themselves into believing they can elude justice simply because they commit crimes outside of our borders,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer.  “As this and so many other cases demonstrate, working hand in hand with our partners around the globe, we will do everything in our power to bring these criminals to the United States to answer for their alleged crimes.”

    Horohorin was arrested Aug. 7 as he attempted to board a flight to Moscow. He will be extradited to the United States, the Justice Department said.

    A top Secret Service official said the agency would be relentless in its pursuit of cyber-criminals.

    “This arrest is an illustration of the success that comes from international law enforcement and private sector partnerships and confirms the Secret Service commitment to traversing the globe in pursuit of online criminals,” said Michael Merritt, assistant director for investigations.

    In August 2008, Merritt was among the officials who announced the seizure of tens of millions of dollars in the alleged AdSurfDaily Ponzi scheme.

    Assisting the Secret Service in the Horohorin probe were the French Police Nationale Aux Frontiers, the Netherlands Police Agency National Crime Squad High Tech Crime Unit, and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office.

    Horohorin was one of the founders of a network known as CarderPlanet, a forum through which criminals sold stolen financial data to other criminals.

    Using his “BadB” forum identity, Horohorin “advertised the availability of stolen credit card information through these web forums, and directed purchasers to create accounts at “dumps.name,” a fully-automated dumps vending website operated by Horohorin and hosted outside the United States,” the Justice Department said.

    “The website was designed to assist in the exchange of funds for the stolen credit card information,” the Justice Department said.