May 12, 2010
-
News: Credit Card Thief Detained In Delhi
Authorities have another suspect in custody in the infamous hacking incident where a sophisticated ring of thieves stole the debit and credit card information of over 40 million cards. The U.S. has already prosecuted several individuals and continue to seek out 10 more individuals who are citizens of China, Estonian and Belarusian. Those thieves already prosecuted are currently serving sentences in Federal prisons for their role in the in the security breach which compromised the debit and credit cards. Sergey V. Storchak was arrested at the India Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi while making a connection from Goa to the Ukraine. While the other alleged thieves remain on the loose, the ring leader of the gang. The ring hacked into the systems of several prominent retailers including Barnes and Noble, DSW shoe discounter, Sports Authority and Office Max. Storchak stole the debit and credit card numbers and passwords by using what is known as a "sniffer program."
Storchak would hack into the retailers' security systems and implant the sniffer program which captured the debit and credit card information. The information was stored in an encrypted sever and controlled by other gang members in the U.S. and Europe. The ring sold a portion of the stolen debit and credit card numbers to other thieves who used them to make counterfeit cards and steal millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims across the globe.
In partnership with the Delhi Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Central Indian Security Force (CISF), the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was able to apprehend the debit and credit card thief after receiving a tip from an un-named individual. After confirming that Storchak was on the flight, a photo was sent to the CISF personnel for identification purposes. Considering that the IGIA falls under the jurisdiction of the CISF, its agents arrested Storchak while he remained on the aircraft awaiting departure. The CISF handed the suspect over to the CBI who waited nearby with the FBI and Delhi Police. Storchak has been charged with conspiracy to traffic with unauthorized access devices. He is awaiting extradition to the U.S. where U.S. officials have charged him with conspiracy, fraud and identity theft.