ATM SCAM WORLWIDE

Source: F.B.I. http://www.fbi.gov/page2/nov09/atm_111609.html

It was a highly sophisticated and cleverly orchestrated crime plot. And one unlike any we’ve ever seen before.

It culminated a year ago this month—on November 8, 2008—when a wave of thieves fanned out across the globe nearly simultaneously. With cloned or stolen debit cards in hand—and the PINs to go with them—they hit more than 2,100 money machines in at least 280 cities on three continents, in such countries as the U.S., Canada, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, Estonia, Russia, and the Ukraine.

When it was all over—incredibly within 12 hours—the thieves walked off with a total of more than $9 million in cash. And that figure would’ve been more, had the targeted ATMs not been drained of all their money.

This individual, one the suspected "cashers" at an ATM in the Atlanta area, is still at large. Contact our office in Atlanta at (404) 679-9000 if you have any information on him or the case. Details

The alleged masterminds of this slick scheme—prosecutors charged earlier this month following an extensive FBI investigation assisted by other federal agencies and our partners around the globe—were three 20-something Eastern Europeans and an unnamed person called simply “Hacker 3.”

Working together, the four hackers cooked up “perhaps the most sophisticated and organized computer fraud attack ever conducted,” according to Acting U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates of the Northern District of Georgia.

• It started when a 28-year-old Moldovan man learned of a vulnerability in the computer network of a major credit card processing company based in Atlanta. With an eye toward exploiting it, he passed that information to a hacker living in Estonia.
• The Estonian conducted “reconnaissance” on the network vulnerability and shared what he learned with a hacker in Russia.
• With the help of the three other hackers at varying times, the Russian busted into the electronic network, reverse-engineered the PIN codes from the encrypted system, and raised the limits on the amount of money that could be withdrawn from the prepaid payroll debit cards. (These cards, used by many companies, enable employees to withdrawal their salaries from an ATM.)
• In addition to providing computer support, Hacker 3 managed the network of thieves around the world—called “cashers”—who used a total of 44 counterfeit cards to withdrawal the $9 million. The Estonian also managed his own cashing group.
• As the cashers went to work, the Russian took the lead in monitoring the victim company’s database to track the illegal withdrawals. With the Estonian, he later deleted or tried to delete files on the computer network to cover their tracks.
• When the ATM thefts were complete, Hacker 3—with the help of the Estonian—gathered and divvied up the proceeds. The cashers got to keep 30 to 50 percent of the money they stole; the rest went to the four hackers.

Another wanted casher hits a convenience store in the Atlanta area. Details

Fortunately, the company reported the breach immediately, and we quickly got to work. Our ensuing case was made with a great deal of international cooperation and even led to joint investigations overseas. Suspected cashers, for example, have also been identified and arrested in Estonia and Hong Kong.

The case is a testament to both the globalized nature of crime in today’s world and the international reach of the FBI, which depends more and more on a network of 61 overseas offices worldwide to protect the U.S. from a range of national security and criminal threats.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING ALERT Beware of Seasonal Scams

“Oh, you better watch out…” Cyber shoppers should take heed of the familiar holiday song’s timeless refrain.

With holiday shopping in full swing and recession-wearied shoppers hunting for irresistibly good buys, it’s a safe assumption that crooks and scammers are baiting their traps with deals too good to be true.

On Cyber Monday, the first Monday after Thanksgiving and the unofficial kick-off of the online holiday shopping season, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) issued an alert reminding shoppers to be prudent with their purse strings and personal information.

“Cyber criminals continue to aggressively create new ways to steal money and personal information,” the alert states. Among the scams that prompt some 30,000 complaints each month to IC3, through its website www.ic3.gov, are:

Bogus online classified ads and auctions: Criminals post products they don’t have, or, in some cases, use stolen credit card numbers to purchase merchandise they offer in auctions. In another scam, criminals may promise free delivery and provide customers with free “paid” shipping labels that are fake and won’t be honored by shippers.

Tips: Don’t provide financial information directly to sellers—use a legitimate payment service. Check each seller’s feedback ratings and proven track record.
Phony gift cards: As with merchandise, be cautious about buying gift cards through classifieds or auctions.

Tip: Buy directly from a merchant or authorized retailer. Counterfeit cards won’t be honored.

Phishing: These time-tested scams arrive by e-mail or text message, directing recipients to follow a link or call a number to correct or update account information. Would-be victims are sent to fraudulent or spoofed websites that look legitimate and directed to provide their account information and personal details.

Tips: Don’t respond to unsolicited e-mail. Don’t click on e-mail links or download attachments from unknown senders.

The leading retail association predicted 96 million Americans would shop online on Cyber Monday alone, and millions more during the month of December. For criminals, the numbers spell opportunity. Shoppers, meanwhile, should exercise the same caution they would in a crowded mall—eyes wide open, protecting themselves and their money.

“If you’re shopping online, make sure the website is secure and it’s not a cloned website,” says Supervisory Special Agent Leslie Hoppey, acting unit chief of the Internet Crime Complaint Center. “If you want to deal with a business, go directly to their official website.”

IC3 last year received more than 275,000 complaints and reported losses of $265 million—an average of $931 per complaint. The most common complaints in 2008 were non-delivered merchandise or payment (32 percent) and auction fraud (25 percent).

Some additional tips—have the latest version of security software installed on your computer and make sure online transactions are secure. And she offers a holiday classic as time-honored as re-gifting: “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”

Signs of a Serial Cheater

No one wants to date someone who is a serial cheater. How do you know if someone is willing to cheat on you though? A number of different signs may indicate that someone has cheated many, many times in the past. Here are some of the common characteristics of serial cheaters.
Cheating in Past Relationships

If someone has cheated in a previous relationship, this may be a sign that they are a serial cheater. While there are some people who cheat once and never cheat again, the saying “once a cheater, always a cheater” is generally true in most cases. When you know that the person you are dating has cheated once or more, then you should know to be cautious when entering a relationship with them. Even if the person has not admitted to cheating, it is likely that you will still hear rumors about them that may or may not be true.

Lots of Short Relationships

Some serial cheaters remain in one long relationship with someone who they frequently cheat on. This is not always the case, however. Many serial cheaters have a lot of very Short Relationships. The best way to find out is to ask the person how many Relationships they have been in. Also keep in mind that you will want to ask what the length of their longest relationship was. If the relationship was only a few months long, this may indicate that they do not have success in this department and it very well could be because they are a serial cheater.

Words and Actions

It is often easy to spot a serial cheater based on their words and actions. Anyone who makes themselves seem like the perfect person to get into a relationship with may be trying too hard. When someone is a really great person, they will not give you more complements than necessary or talk about a perfect future with you. If the person that you are seeing is insisting that you become sexually involved after one or two dates, this is also something that may indicate that they have been around the block more times than you can count.

Friends and Family

When you begin seeing someone, it is very common to not meet any of their Friends or Family members right away. Once the relationship is made official, it is very unusual to not be introduced to anyone that the guy or girl you are seeing knows. If you almost feel as though you are being kept hidden, it could be because you really are. Be sure to bring it up and if the person becomes defensive, it could be a sign that the person is really a serial cheater.

These are just a few of the signs that may indicate that someone is a serial cheater. The most important thing to keep in mind is that if someone has been willing to cheat in the past, they are also willing to cheat on you. Even though you may feel like you’re special or different, the truth is that you probably aren’t. Spotting a serial cheater early on will help prevent you from being the next brokenhearted victim.

Extra Marital Affairs – The Serial Cheater

The type of man that we will describe is the one who has an almost insatiable appetite for women—as many as he can have. Some are married. Others are single. Society rather expects single men to “have their fling” but not married men. We call these men “serial” cheaters because like addicts—they don’t seem to be able to stop their addictive behavior. In the case of the serial cheater, his addiction is his compulsion to “sleep around” with as many women as possible.


These men are very skillful in their seduction of women. They are quite careful in their selections of the women they target for an affair. The women are often lonely, suffer from low self esteem, and are desperate for a relationship. He goes after them tenaciously. He knows how to approach them, what to wear, what to say, what lies to tell, and how to take advantage of the woman’s vulnerability. Even though she may be aware that he’s not being completely honest, she may be so desperate for love, affection, and attention that she’ll discount his dishonesty and may even make excuses for his deceit in order to keep the relationship going.

Prominent married men who are serial cheaters are able to take advantage of their status to seduce women. They have power, influence, and money and they use all three to seduce and manipulate the women in their lives. This includes their wives and all the “other women.” The wife tends to be almost totally dependent on him and he is able to manipulate and control her. She may be aware of his exploits but be incapable of doing much about it except to complain. He may promise to do better, end his “wandering” ways, and may even agree to go to counseling. He will do and say almost anything in an attempt to convince the wife that he’s trying to do better while actually continuing his extra marital relationships.

Men who have status and position often have the means to keep their extra marital affairs secret. They do an exceptional job of hiding their exploits. If the cheater is affiliated with a company, a political party, a church, a business or some organization that has a repetition to protect, the leaders of those institutions may assist the cheater in “keeping the affair under wraps” in order to protect the organization’s image. They may be able to keep these affairs out of public view for quite some time, but eventually, “what is done in the dark eventually comes to the light.” The discovery may come as a surprise to the public, but not to those close enough to know the husband’s history of cheating.

A marriage involving a serial cheater is considerably more difficult to correct because of the man’s continuous pattern of deceit. At some point, eventually the wife may grow tired enough to end the masquerade. Hopefully, she will grow from the experience so that she can create a healthy and meaningful relationship in the future.

Regardless of the reason for the extra marital affair, the solution is the same. The solution is appropriate for couples of all ages and status. It’s quite simple. Fix the marriage! The only difference between an older man having an affair and a younger man is time—the amount of time it takes each to fix the marriage, if it can be fixed, and if not, the husband owes it to the wife to end the marriage and allow her the opportunity to find happiness in another relationship. But we’d advise the man not to “throw in the towel” too soon, believing that the “grass is greener over there” with the other woman. If you’re a man who has decided to leave your wife to pursue a life with the other woman, in time, you may discover that you’ve made the biggest mistake of your life. But after all the pain has been inflicted, you, your wife, and your children have been exposed to public humiliation, and the money divided, it’s just too late to go back. Our recommendation is that you end the affair immediately and put your attention and energy into fixing your marriage!

MurderSuspect Goes Ballistic In Court

">

GOLF CLUB OR OTHER -- YOU DECIDE