Romanian Auction Scammer on the Lam

[pyth0n3]

April 12, 2010

Romanian authorites made headlines last week after busting 70 suspected cyberthieves accused of operating online auction scams. But it turns out one of the ringleaders was set free after authorities failed to file the required paperwork on time — and now he’s vanished.

Police say the 70 suspects ran scams on eBay and other online auction sites since 2006.

Romanian law allows suspects to be held in jail, in a so-called preventive arrest, for 29 days while an investigation is underway if authorities prove to the court that they need to hold the suspect while evidence is examined. While the court was busy ruling on an extended arrest for the other suspects, Nicolae Popescu, 30, walked out of the courthouse without the police being notified, according to a local news report. The deadline for his initial arrest had passed, and because the court had not yet ruled on his extended detention, he was allowed to leave.

Romanian police defended the slip, saying there were too many criminals to process and not enough people to watch the suspects and do the paperwork. Agents had been working 48 hours and were tired, a spokesman told a local paper.

Police are now appealing to the public to be on the lookout for Popescu or any of his three cars.

Popescu is believed to be the ringleader of one of three separate gangs who used phishing attacks to get the login credentials of auction account holders, then used the accounts to auction nonexistent goods. Police have identified approximately 800 victims who sent money for non-existent Rolex watches, cars, yachts, private airplanes and other luxury goods. Buyers from around the world lost approximately $1 million after they sent money for winning auctions, but never received goods. According to a Romanian news source, an American buyer paid about $90,000 for a luxury aircraft in one auction.

The year-long investigation, dubbed Operation Valley of the Kings, involved more than 100 search warrants and more than 700 law enforcement agents conducting searches in multiple cities. It was a joint operation between the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service and the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).

Thirty-one suspects were arrested in Bucharest and the rest were seized in other cities, but only 34 were detained beyond the initial arrest, according to local reports.

Police seized more than $250,000 in cash in multiple currencies, a rifle, three pistols and 150 grams of gold., 70 laptops, 165 mobile phones and 2,425 SIM cards.

Ten suspects were also arrested in the Czech Republic.

Source : wired.com

[VictoraSu]

Interesanta partea cu "2,425 SIM cards" si nu ma surprinde faza cu "evadatu" poate pe viitor o sa fie mai competente autoritatile.Nu incurajez aceasta practica dar bravo lui ca a stiut sa profite de aceasta bresa.