74 Arrested in International Email Scam Schemes

A coordinated effort has led to the arrest of 74 individuals around the world on charges of defrauding businesses and individuals.

Dark Reading Staff, Dark Reading

June 12, 2018

1 Min Read
Dark Reading logo in a gray background | Dark Reading

The US Department of Justice today said it has arrested 74 individuals engaged in business email compromise (BEC) schemes, with approximately $14 million in fraudulent wire transfers recovered.

The so-called Operation Wire Wire that netted the suspects was a coordinated law enforcement effort by the DoJ, US Department of Homeland Security, US Department of the Treasury, and US Postal Inspection Service, along with law enforcement agencies from Nigeria, Poland, Canada, Mauritius, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Wire transfers are still commonly used to move money around the globe, and BEC attacks try to hijack those transfers and steal the money in motion. 

Among the 74 arrests, 42 came in the US, 29 in Nigeria, and three each in Canada, Mauritius, and Poland. 

Since the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) began keeping track of BEC and its variant, email account compromise (EAC), as a complaint category, there has been a loss of over $3.7 billion reported to the IC3. 

For more, read here.

About the Author

Dark Reading Staff

Dark Reading

Dark Reading is a leading cybersecurity media site.

Keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, newly discovered vulnerabilities, data breach information, and emerging trends. Delivered daily or weekly right to your email inbox.

You May Also Like


More Insights