The operation was led by a man from Jordan who hacked computers from an Internet cafe

Dec 9, 2013 10:58 GMT  ·  By

Last week, 45-year-old Vince Evola of Gladstone, Missouri, pleaded guilty to his role in a massive fraud scheme that involved computer hacking and identity theft.

Evola and his four accomplices managed to make $725,000 (€529,000) through the fraud scheme. The crooks hacked into the computers of various businesses in an effort to steal personally identifiable information, including email addresses and passwords.

Once they obtained this information, they used it to access online credit card accounts, relying on the fact that many people use the same passwords for multiple online accounts.

The compromised credit card accounts had been used to purchase airline tickets, gift cards and other items, which they had delivered to their residences. The group also sent money via wire transfers and made various other fraudulent transactions.

The companies they made online purchases from include Hy-Vee, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Bass Pro Shop, Hallmark, Liz Claiborne, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and PF Chang’s.

They started the 3-year-long scheme in 2006. Evola has admitted that he’s responsible for between $30,000 (€22,000) and $70,000 (€51,000) of the losses they had caused. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 (€182,000).

Evola’s co-defendants have already pleaded guilty and they’ve all been sentenced. Jordanian citizen Sael Mustafa, 35, is considered the leader of the scheme. He was sentenced in 2011 to 10 years without parole and ordered to pay restitution.

Mustafa hacked computers from an Internet café in Jordan before moving to the US in January 2009. The operation was shut down a few months later.

Evola’s wife, Kimberly Evola, and his two sisters, Carrie Evola and Rosemary Evola, also took part in the scheme.