OP 22 October, 2024 - 08:12 PM
Italian police have arrested an Australian man wanted in the United States for his role in an international cyber fraud scheme that targeted the elderly and other vulnerable groups. Investigators say the group caused around US$31 million (about A$46 million) in damages.
The 44-year-old man, whose name has not yet been released, was put on the international wanted list more than three years ago and is described by police as an Italian-Australian. He was detained at Milan’s Malpensa Airport after arriving on a flight from Singapore. The arrest was made on the basis of a warrant issued by a North Carolina court following an investigation by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Italian cyber police.
The fraudulent scheme involved infiltrating victims’ computer systems, displaying an error message on their screens and recommending that they contact a special call centre for technical support. The attackers convinced the victims to pay for technical assistance, but the victims did not receive any results. As a result of the actions of this group, the attackers were able to obtain illegal income in the amount of 31 million dollars.
According to the police, the criminal organization operated all over the world, but the exact number of victims and their geography, except for the United States, remain unclear. It is unknown how many people fell victim to this scheme outside the United States.
When the suspect was arrested, they found a large sum of euros in cash, several computers, credit cards and an expensive watch. The Australian is currently in Busto Arsizio prison, located 35 kilometers north of Milan. In the next two days, the detainee will appear before a judge to decide on extradition to the United States. In the United States, the fraudster faces up to 30 years in prison on charges of computer fraud, violation of computer security and money laundering.
Such a long term is due to the fact that more than 10 of the victims are over 55 years old. In July, Italian police arrested another cybercriminal who was also wanted by the FBI.
source : https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/aust...5kjpu.html
![[Image: Capture-d-cran-2025-01-13-134003.png]](https://i.ibb.co/yqTM0D0/Capture-d-cran-2025-01-13-134003.png)
The 44-year-old man, whose name has not yet been released, was put on the international wanted list more than three years ago and is described by police as an Italian-Australian. He was detained at Milan’s Malpensa Airport after arriving on a flight from Singapore. The arrest was made on the basis of a warrant issued by a North Carolina court following an investigation by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Italian cyber police.
The fraudulent scheme involved infiltrating victims’ computer systems, displaying an error message on their screens and recommending that they contact a special call centre for technical support. The attackers convinced the victims to pay for technical assistance, but the victims did not receive any results. As a result of the actions of this group, the attackers were able to obtain illegal income in the amount of 31 million dollars.
According to the police, the criminal organization operated all over the world, but the exact number of victims and their geography, except for the United States, remain unclear. It is unknown how many people fell victim to this scheme outside the United States.
When the suspect was arrested, they found a large sum of euros in cash, several computers, credit cards and an expensive watch. The Australian is currently in Busto Arsizio prison, located 35 kilometers north of Milan. In the next two days, the detainee will appear before a judge to decide on extradition to the United States. In the United States, the fraudster faces up to 30 years in prison on charges of computer fraud, violation of computer security and money laundering.
Such a long term is due to the fact that more than 10 of the victims are over 55 years old. In July, Italian police arrested another cybercriminal who was also wanted by the FBI.
source : https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/aust...5kjpu.html