'Operation Cyber Sweep' Nets 125 Arrests

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."

Comments

So...

[Anonymous Coward]

Did they catch the founders of PayPal?

Phew!

[MisterFancypants]

I feel much safer now!

This Homeland Security thing is really working!

Isn't this the RIAA's job?

[Powercntrl]

I was under the impression they were the ones who policed the Internet.

Ashcroft rocks.

[Guano_Jim]

I, for one, welcome our new Pentacostal overlords, and would like to remind them as a barely-known Slashdot personality, might be useful in rounding up others to work in their underground Bible camps.

#include (standardslashdotresponse.h)

[Chairboy]

Dear slashdot,

I for one am outraged about (subject matter)! This is just another instance of (the government/corporation name) sticking it to those of us who still care about (music/freedom/software)!

In conclusion, stop (subject matter) now!

Regards,
Chairboy

PS, does (subject matter) (run on linux/support OGG Vorbis)? Because if it doesn't, I'm (not buying it/further upset)!

Re:"an expressway for crime"

[orthogonal]

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

Now that's just unfair. John Ashcroft's a great Christian Attorney General.

And 'Operation Cyber Thought Crime Sweep' doesn't start until next week, you commie pinko medical-marijuana-using atheist Muslim non-Allegiance-pledging bong-selling Democrat terrorist.