[ad_1]
More than 50 people have been victims of a new method of identity theft. A group that has been monitored for months has taken control of the victim’s phone number, claiming that mobile phone companies have damaged the SIM card or lost the phone. Once in possession of the victim’s phone number, they took control of social media accounts, but also bank accounts. Without even realizing it, people ran out of money in their accounts or relatives and acquaintances were required to borrow large sums of money.
According to sources close to the investigation, the victims also include well-known names in the world of music, including the manelist Jean de Craiova or Denisa de Bambi.
DIICOT, in collaboration with police structures, carried out 12 searches on Wednesday morning in this case in which the damage exceeded the amount of 100,000 lei.
„It was observed that, as of December 2019 and until now, the leader of the group, with the help of other members, using the identity data of the victims, took steps to replace their SIM cards, thus taking control of phone numbers. telephone.
In this way, the group leader was able to access the email accounts of the injured persons, taking advantage of the two-step authentication system (TWO-STEP authentication), which consists of sending a code to the phone number that is synchronized with the email account. mail, thus allowing the change of the access password and the restriction of the injured person’s access to the account. You have also set up the “Account Key” authentication method, which allows you to access your email account when you receive a notification on your mobile phone, without having to enter your password.
By gaining control over the victims’ email addresses, the leader had access to all their personal information (photocopies of identity documents, company certificates, utility bills, withheld bank statements, or other details regarding their privacy. ).
The members of the group also changed the access passwords of the user accounts of the injured on a social platform, after which, on behalf of the victims, they asked their friends of the application for financial help, using various pretexts. will transfer the money. on multiple accounts.
At the same time, the leader of the group requested on behalf of the victims to obtain loans from banks and non-bank financial institutions.
Having access to the data mentioned above, he called the call center of some banks, assigned the identity of the injured and requested the resetting of passwords related to Internet bank accounts. By gaining access to bank accounts online, he later transferred sums of money from the accounts of the injured to the accounts of other members of the criminal group. “, according to a DIICOT press release.
To the present, 50 injured were identified, the total damage exceeded 100,000 lei.
At the DIICOT headquarters – Central Structure, 14 suspects will be questioned.
Publisher: DC
