Today, the FBI charged 53 defendants of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, the most ever indicted in a case cybercrime. 33 have been arrested and the rest are wanted by law enforcement. The Egyptian authorities charged 47 defendants linked to the same phishing operation. The arrests follow a multinational investigation known as "Operation Phish Phry," which began in 2007.
According to the FBI, hackers in Egypt used phishing techniques to obtain banking information and other sensitive personal data they provided to partners in the United States. the American hackers used the stolen data to withdraw funds from the bank accounts of their victims. they then wired part of the return of the product pirates in Egypt.
Keith Bolcar, acting assistant director of the FBI in Los Angeles, commented, "the sophistication with which Phish Phry defendants operated represents an evolving and troubling paradigm in the way identity theft is now engaged. Criminally savvy groups recruit here and abroad to pool tactics and skills necessary to commit organized theft facilitated by the computer, including hacking, fraud and identity theft, with a common greed and the shared desire to victimize Americans. "
It is easy to dismiss phishing emails in the catagorizing as spam, a mere nuisance. But phishers are not harmless. They collect data that can and will be used for identity theft . When someone asks your confidential account information, either a user name and password or bank, pause and consider the circumstances before you hand obediently on the data. and, just if your personal data find their way in the world, despite all your efforts, consider investing in identity theft protection.