AFP hits $6 million identity fraud syndicate

$500,000 of goods per week purchased with fake credit cards

CIO Staff (CIO)
03 July, 2009 08:25
Comments

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) claims to have struck a major blow to a multi-million identity fraud syndicate.

The AFP said multi-agency ‘Identity Security Strike Teams’ (ISST) had arrested seven people across Sydney and Melbourne in connection with a $6 million operation producing fraudulent credit cards.

Manufacturing equipment, that is believed to have produced cards that were used to purchase around $500,000 of goods per week, and identity documents were also seized in the raids.

More than 1200 credit card numbers involved with this scheme since March 2009 have been identified by the ISSTs, the AFP said.

The AFP is alleging that a 53-year-old Homebush Bay man is responsible for the manufacture and distribution of in excess of 200 fraudulent credit cards per week.

It alleges that the 53-year-old received credit card details from various sources overseas and on-forwarded the information to a 35-year-old Potts Point man, who allegedly produced fake credit cards as well as other identity documents.

The 53-year-old man then allegedly collected the credit cards and other identity documents he ordered and distributed them to supervisors to pass onto ‘shoppers’, the AFP said.

It is also alleging that the ‘shoppers’ were then directed as to what was to be purchased with the cards and received a percentage of the value of the items purchased with the fraudulent credit cards.

Goods believed to have been obtained through this scheme include electronic goods, gift cards, phone cards, alcohol and stamps, the AFP said.

The ISST is a multi-agency taskforce with members from the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police Force, Australian Crime Commission, NSW Crime Commission and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

In related news, the AFP claims to have struck a major blow to a multi-million identity fraud syndicate.

The AFP said multi-agency ‘Identity Security Strike Teams’ (ISST) had arrested seven people across Sydney and Melbourne in connection with a $6 million operation producing fraudulent credit cards