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Data obtained during the long-term comprehensive investigation carried out by the Lithuanian Prosecutor’s Office and Criminal Police Office suggests that the victims received electronic messages allegedly sent from the bank. The letters contained bogus offers to renew the account and Internet links to websites that mimic banks’ electronic bank accounts, the prosecutor’s office said.
The victims entered login details (codes) using the popular SMART-ID application and thus passed on to the suspects the identification of themselves and the legal entities represented in the electronic banking system and electronic payment instruments. The suspects used this data immediately and illegally to connect to information systems: the electronic banking of banks.
Officials from the Lithuanian Criminal Police Office began recording the activation of such crimes in 2019. in June, it is monitored until now. After knowing the identity of the crimes, all crimes and investigations of this type registered in Lithuania were systematically combined and investigated in the electronic space crime investigation unit of the Lithuanian Criminal Police Office.
VIDEO: Tens of thousands of Lithuanians were misled by Romanians with misleading messages about Smart-ID
In total, according to the data available to officials, at least 101 natural and legal persons were affected in Lithuania. From these bank accounts, the criminals illegally transferred a total of around € 250,000 to other people’s bank accounts, but in reality they earned around € 100,000; in other cases, banks and financial services companies were able to stop the transfers and return the money to the victims.
The seized money illegally traveled to banks or companies that provide electronic money services in Lithuania, Poland, Ireland, England, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Malta and France.
An investigation into these crimes revealed that identical frauds were also spreading in Estonia. In cooperation, Lithuanian and Estonian officials discovered that the crimes were committed by the same organized group in Romania. The opening of a pre-trial investigation by the Romanian police revealed that these crimes had not been committed in Romania itself.
To prevent crimes and arrest suspects, the initiative of the Attorney General of the Republic of Lithuania and the Lithuanian Criminal Police Office In March, a joint investigation team from Lithuania, Estonia and Romania was created in Eurojust. On the basis of the evidence provided by this group, Romanian officials arrested the suspects.
The pre-trial investigation in Lithuania is carried out in accordance with Article 182 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania. 1 and 2 (fraud), art. 1 d. (interception and illegal use of electronic data), art. 1 d. (illegal connection to the information system), art. 1 d. (illegal removal of devices, software, passwords, codes and other data), art. 1 d. (production of a falsified electronic payment instrument, falsification of a genuine electronic payment instrument or illegal possession of an electronic payment instrument or its data) and Art. 1 d. (illegal use of an electronic payment instrument or your data).
This pre-trial investigation is led by a prosecutor from the Criminal Prosecution Department of the Attorney General’s Office and is led by officials from the Lithuanian Criminal Police Office.
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