The Star/Asia News Network
Tuesday, Nov 13, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR - A phishing syndicate comprising of a group of Africans has been buying credit card numbers of Malaysians in order to purchase luxury item and electronic devices online.
Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department(CCID) director Comm Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said they got wind of the syndicate following a number of complaints from several banks.
"Based on our investigations we found that the group had been purchasing credit card numbers along with their card verification value codes (CVC) for about $20USD on an online chatroom," he told a press conference at the CCID headquarters at Bukit Perdana Monday.
He said once the syndicate got the credit card numbers, they would make online purchases on luxury items including handbags and electronic devices.
"Once they receive the items, they would sell it for cash," he said adding that the banks would only learn about the unauthorised transactions once the rightful owner of the credit card lodges a complaint," he said adding that following the complaints, police conducted two raids on premises in Subang Jaya on Oct 31 and Nov 1.
"We arrested eight Africans in the raids, including two women and they were aged between 22 and 28," he said adding that those arrested were in the country on student visas and were studying at a private institute here.
He said police were now focusing their attention on the group which was selling the credit card details adding that those arrested have been remanded till Aug 20 to facilitate further investigations.
In an unrelated case, Comm Syed Ismail said police arrested another group of Africans for internet sales fraud.
"We arrested five men aged between 27 and 31 in a raid on a house in Nilai on Nov 10," he said adding that police initially got wind of the syndicate following a 15 complaints from a local company as well as 49 complaints from foreign buyers.
He said based on investigations, the group would use the name of a number of companies, to attract buyers for a vast array of products, claiming that they could sell products at a much cheaper price.
"The syndicate would ask the buyers to pay a 10% to 30% deposit into their accounts and would disappear once the transaction was complete," he said, adding that investigations confirmed the group had raked in about RM1.86mil.
Comm Syed Ismail said police have linked the group to 15 cases so far but believe that they were involved in more cases as they have received complaints from buyers in Australia, Egypt, Greece, Lybia, and some Eastern European countries.
He added that the group has been remanded.
