Odessa, Ukraine: Carders’ Leader Remains Free
By Dmitri Kramarenko
Date: February 10, 2004
As we informed earlier, officers of Organized Crime Department had arrested three young men, residents of Odessa, attempting to illegally withdraw big sum of money from ATM using counterfeit plastic cards. Though supposed leader of Odessa carders remains free.
An anonymous from Odessa Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs told “Reporter”. Arrested carders have been under observation since spring 2003 in several regions of Ukraine, he marked out.
Obviously, arrested are common executors, and their ideological leader remains free, competent source noted. According to preliminary estimation, arrested have managed to obtain illegally nearly $370 000 during their fraudulent activity.
61 counterfeit cards, 135 blanks, more than 20 thousand USD and more than 20 thousand UAH were seized from swindlers during search. Besides law enforcement seized a device designed for plotting information to magnetic streaks of the cards.
Law enforcement has not yet estimated the exact number of victims.
It is not the only case of high technology crime. So, in November 2003, officers detained 23 year old Odessa resident that opened his site where he sold computers and componentry hardware.
However his clients from different countries sent him money through Western Union, they didn’t get expected goods. Swindler earned about $24 000 for 1 year. Officers arrested him after they had received allegation of from US citizen by e-mail.
Till this incident, in April 2003, employees of Privatbank Odessa Branch prevented attempt of card fraud, having detained a student of Odessa Economy and Law High School, that had been called to account for money counterfeiting and had got suspended sentence for it. He made a request to withdraw UAH 3700 (~ $ 685) in Privatbank Odessa Branch, having showed papers of Ukrainian citizen and a plastic card emitted by foreign bank. Cashier carried out also voice authorization except electronic, and it showed that given card is counterfeit. Arrested also had another counterfeit card from another foreign bank. In the course of conversation with security officers, swindler also told that he had bought plastic cards in the Internet, there he had got information on how to use it.
Such illegal actions fall under Article 190 of Section 3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, providing from 3 to 8 years of imprisonment.
Computer Crime Research Center
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