14 DAY TRIAL // The Metropolitan Police arrested 14 individuals suspected of being part of a major phishing operation that earned them £1 million ($1.5 Million or €1.2 Million) from a single victim.
According to TechWeek Europe, 12 men and two women were arrested during the raids.
Apparently, they convinced the victim, a woman from the UK who moved abroad, to give them her bank account details. Then, with the use of money mules they transferred the money to their own accounts.
Met Police representatives stated that the crooks spent the entire sum of money on food, computers, gold bars and other items in just three days.
Fortunately for the woman, investigators managed to return all the money stolen from her by the phishers.
“This is an example of how cyber crime creates real victims through the indiscriminate actions of the criminals involved. The victim in this case has suffered significant stress after her life savings – which she intended to use to purchase a property on her return to England – were stolen,” PCeU’s Detective Inspector Stewart Garrick said.