Cybercriminals rely on the good intentions of their victims to obtain, for example, their credit card information. Using the technique called ‘phishing’, the most common method is to send fraudulent emails in which they impersonate the identity of a company, inviting them to click on a link or download a file with which they open the door and access personal data and victim’s finances.
This scam is back in the news today. The National Police has achieved an important blow against cyber fraud with the arrest of three individuals in Albacete, who were part of an organization specialized in banking scams through the technique known as ‘phishing’. This method consists of identity theft to illegally obtain bank card data.
The case came to light after an attempted pickup of an online order at a local business, which had been alerted by the cardholder about the fraudulent nature of the transaction. The business acted immediately, stopping the delivery of the product and alerting the authorities, who proceeded to arrest two of those involved at the time they were trying to pick up the item.
Investigation and arrests
The subsequent investigation allowed the police to connect these individuals with other fraudulent orders totaling 7,224 euros in potential scams. These preventive actions helped prevent further fraud and led to the arrest of a third person, also involved in the criminal network.
Those arrested, according to the authorities, acted as ‘mules’, that is, people who are responsible for essentially collecting products purchased with stolen card data, thus facilitating the laundering of fraudulently acquired goods.
The modus operandi
The National Police has explained that this type of criminal organizations usually operates at two levels: the first is dedicated to obtaining banking data through computer attacks on companies or banks, or by taking advantage of misinformation from users, who can fall into the trap of doing click. in malicious links. The second level is made up of the ‘mules’, who collect the purchased products, often items that are easily sold on the black market.
This case highlights the importance of vigilance by both consumers and businesses to detect and prevent this type of fraud. Furthermore, it recalls the need for effective cooperation between law enforcement and financial institutions to combat and dismantle criminal networks that operate using advanced technologies for cyber fraud.
