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'Operation Cyber Sweep' Nets 125 Arrests

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the cleaning-up-the-streets dept.

unassimilatible writes "Attorney General John Ashcroft said Thursday that law-enforcement agents had arrested 125 suspects in a crackdown on Internet crimes ranging from hacking and software piracy to credit card fraud and selling stolen goods over the Internet, according to Wired. The investigation, begun Oct. 1 and dubbed Operation Cyber Sweep, involved police from Ghana to Southern California and uncovered 125,000 victims who had lost more than $100 million. Seventy indictments to date have led to arrests or convictions of 125 people, with more expected as the probe continues. The cases range from a Virginia woman who sent fake e-mails to America Online customers asking them to update their credit card numbers to a disgruntled Philadelphia Phillies fan who hacked into computers nationwide and launched spam e-mails criticizing the baseball team. 'The information superhighway should be a conduit for communication, information and commerce, not an expressway for crime,' Ashcroft said."

8 of 286 comments (clear)

  1. Ashcroft is one to talk about upholding the law by ShatteredDream · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Since the administration he works for has made a mockery out of the highest law of the land, the United States Constitution.

    --
    Click here or a puppy gets stomped!
    1. Re:Ashcroft is one to talk about upholding the law by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      You sir, are an asshat of the highest order. I fart on you.

    2. Re:Ashcroft is one to talk about upholding the law by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      FOD ass.

    3. Re:Ashcroft is one to talk about upholding the law by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      I blame Bush somehow. I'm not too sure what I'm mad about, but I'm sure Bush has in some way done something wrong. Damn it.

  2. guess its a start by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    he cant catch bin laden but can catch some bored housewife messing with aolers... guess its a start.

  3. "an expressway for crime" by RLiegh · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Thanks to Asscroft, most citizens can be accused of commiting crimes ["terrorism"] at any arbitary point in time.

    Does this mean we're only supposed to use the internet for the purposes of communicating with those corporations with whom we're engaging in commerce with?

    1. Re:"an expressway for crime" by Glock27 · · Score: 0, Flamebait
      I'm Outta Here!

      Thank you, and please don't let the (virtual) door hit you in the...

      --
      Galileo: "The Earth revolves around the Sun!"
      Score: -1 100% Flamebait
  4. Partiot Act by __aaitqo8496 · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    And I'm sure that the Patriot Act was never used to obtain information. Yeah Right.