Gang of 100 Phishers Charged in U.S., Egypt

A gang of more than 100 alleged phishers has been charged in the U.S. and Egypt in connection with a global scheme to steal bank credentials of victims and siphon money from their accounts.

A total of 53 defendants (.pdf) ranging in ages 18 to 44 are charged in a thick indictment (.pdf) unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Los Angeles. An additional person is being charged at the state level, and another 47 alleged co-conspirators have been charged in Egypt.

The indictment is the culmination of a two-and-a-half-year investigation, dubbed Operation Phish Phry.

The suspects in Egypt allegedly sent bogus e-mails purporting to be legitimate correspondence from the victims’ banks, urging the victims to update their online banking records. The e-mails referred recipients to a fake bank website under the criminals’ control, which prompted the victims for an account number and password.

Read more: wired.com