August 25, 2009
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News: Illustrious Hacker Pleads Guilty
The contemptible internet hacker and credit card thief, Ehud Tenenbaum known as the "Analyzer", has pleaded guilty to one count of bank card fraud. Tenenbaum, an Israeli, is not a stranger to authorities. He began his illustrious criminal career more than a decade ago. At the age of 19 he was arrested in Israel for his illegal hacking activities for penetrating Pentagon computers. The internationally famed criminal was prosecuted by an Israeli court that refused to send Tenenbaum to the United States to face credit card and other fraud charges. Tenenbaum served a mere six months of community service. Prior to his indictment and extradition, Tenenbaum was in the custody of Calgary police where he was facing charges on hacking into the Direct Cash Management Company. Direct Cash distributes prepaid debit and credit cards. U.S. authorities served Tenenbaum with a warrant before the Canadian court released him on bail.
Court documents for the newest credit card fraud and global hacking scheme indicate that Tenenbaum's illegal activities cost U.S. financial institutions over $10 million. Included in the companies that had fallen prey to Tenenbaum's attacks are two major banks, a debit and credit card distribution company, and an electronic payment processing company. Despite the multiple illegal activities, his plea deal consisted of only one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud. Tenenbaum will return to court on November 19th for sentencing. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
The news has been upsetting to Malka Tenenbaum, the Analyzer's mother who lives in Israel. It is her belief that the U.S. has taken advantage of the situation because they have been harboring a ten year long grudge for his Pentagon intrusion. Credit card victims of Tenenbaum's illegal activities feel differently. The two year investigation that extended across the nation and globe indicated the attackers stole hundreds of cardholders' information and used it to withdraw thousands of dollars out of ATM's ranging from Russia and Turkey to Bulgaria and Sweden. Tenenbaum was observed as well on a surveillance tape withdrawing cash at a Canadian ATM machine using one of the stolen card's information.