Seven arrested in $6m credit card scam
[Aust Fed Police]
Seven people have been arrested across Sydney and Melbourne in connection with a $6 million identity fraud syndicate.
The multi-agency Identity Security Strike Teams (ISST) executed 11 search warrants and seized manufacturing equipment and identity documents in raids Wednesday.
It will be alleged in court that the principal of the syndicate, a 53-year-old Homebush Bay man is responsible for the manufacture and distribution of in excess of 200 fraudulent credit cards per week.
It is estimated that they were being used to purchase around $500,000 of goods per week.
The 53-year-old is alleged to have received credit card details from various sources overseas and on-forwarded the information to a 35-year-old Potts Point man, who allegedly produced fake credit cards as well as other identity documents.
The 53-year-old man then allegedly collected the credit cards and other identity documents he ordered and distributed them to supervisors to pass onto ‘shoppers’.
It will be alleged that the ‘shoppers’ were then directed as to what was to be purchased with the cards and received a percentage of the value of the items purchased with the fraudulent credit cards.
Goods believed to have been obtained through this scheme include electronic goods, gift cards, phone cards, alcohol and stamps.
The ISSTs have identified in excess of 1200 credit card numbers involved with this scheme since March 2009.
On 1 July 2009, search warrants were executed at 11 locations across Sydney and Melbourne.
