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Ranmaru Mori
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Gang Charged Over Online Bank Raids
11:06am Thursday September 30, 2010
Huw Borland
Eleven people have been charged over a multi-million-pound online raid on British bank accounts.
The virus contaminated computers and stole password and account data
The suspects - who are eastern Europeans based in the UK - are accused of various offences including conspiracy to defraud and money laundering. They were among 20 people arrested earlier this week by the Metropolitan Police after up to £6m was taken from online accounts in just three months by a gang of computer hackers.
The thieves used a virus known as "zeus" to infect computers and capture the passwords and other sensitive details of banking customers. Their money was then transferred into bogus accounts created by the hackers to help them launder the profits. Eight people from Essex have been charged with conspiracy to defraud and money laundering.
They are: Ukrainians Yuriy Korovalenko, 28, and Yevhen Kulibaba, 32, and Latvian Karina Kostromina, 33, from Chingford; Estonian Aleksander Kusner, 27, Ukrainian Roman Zenyk, 29, and Belorussian Eduard Babaryka, 26, from Romford; Latvian Ivars Poikans, 29, and Latvian Kaspars Cliematnieks, 24, from Harlow.
Ukrainians Milka Valerij, 29, and Iryna Prakochyk, 23, from Chingford, are charged with conspiracy to defraud. Georgian Zurab Revazishvili, 34, from Romford, is charged with offences under the Identity Cards Act 2005. All will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates Court later. Nine other people, six men and three women, arrested in connection with the investigation have been bailed pending further inquiries.
