Friday, March 29, 2024

Russian cyberthief convicted of stealing millions of CC info

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Roman Seleznev, the son of a Russian parliament member, could face up to 40 years in prison for hacking into point-of-sale computers and stealing millions of credit card details. A federal jury has convicted him of 38 out of 40 counts of wire fraud, intentional damage to a protected computer, obtaining information from a protected computer, possession, unauthorized access of devices and two counts of aggravated identity theft two years after he was arrested in the Maldives. According to the Department of Justice, Seleznev broke into the point-of-sale systems of various small businesses, including delis and restaurants in Western Washington. He then installed malware that could steal credit card details and send the data it pilfered to servers in different parts of the globe.

Authorities found 1.7 million CC numbers on his computer when he was arrested, but prosecutors said he stole as many as 2.9 million between 2009 and 2013. Seleznev sold those CC details in bundles on forums and websites, which were then used for fraudulent purchases. In all, his scheme led to $169 million in losses for banks and other financial institutions. ‘

Seleznev’s lawyers plan to appeal his case and argue that his 2014 arrest was basically a kidnapping. They also claim that authorities didn’t secure the laptop they took from him, so they’ll challenge the evidence collected from the computer, as well. He is scheduled for sentencing on December 2nd, 2016 and will be imprisoned for four years at the very least.

Source: Department of Justice

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