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Massive Online ID Fraud Ring Busted

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the shakedown-breakdown dept.

Iphtashu Fitz writes "CNet News is reporting that the US Secret Service in conjunction with authorities in six foreign countries have arrested 28 people in the last 48 hours on charges of identity theft, computer fraud, credit card fraud and conspiracy. Dubbed Operation Firewall, the Secret Service identified a group of people who stole over 1.7 million credit card numbers as well as a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria. The investigation started in July 2003 when the Secret Service began investigating an unspecified financial crime. They identified the website Shadowcrew.com whose members traded tutorials and information about identity theft and forgery and exchanged sensitive personal and financial information. The Shadowcrew website has since undergone a makeover thanks to the Secret Service. A press release about the operation can also be found on their website."

353 comments

  1. This is pretty big! by Seventh+Magpie · · Score: 3, Informative

    Hey this is the kind of case law enforcement needs. Take down the big boys. As much as some of you like to flame the USSS, you gotta give them credit for this one!

    1. Re:This is pretty big! by packeteer · · Score: 1

      No way this is a scare tactic... Youi think they are hunting down all 4000 members? Bo they are trying to get they em ot lay low... which works in s situation like this... when someone goes down im sure that thy all go scattering like cochroaces.

      --
      unzip; strip; touch; finger; mount; fsck; more; yes; unmount; sleep
    2. Re:This is pretty big! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      USSS?

      United Soviet Socialist States? I didn't know Bush had gone that far just yet.

      oh, United States Secret Service. Still, you have to wonder about a secret government organization using 'SS' as its designation...

    3. Re:This is pretty big! by Kn0xy · · Score: 0

      "Still, you have to wonder about a secret government organization using 'SS' as its designation... "

      Wasn't Germany's 'SS' good till Hilter took over?

    4. Re:This is pretty big! by Sepper · · Score: 1

      SS?

      --
      I live in Soviet Canuckistan you insensitive clod!
    5. Re:This is pretty big! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, please! You conspiracy theorists are unbelievable.

    6. Re:This is pretty big! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      VOTE Kerry! Only a more socialist country can make America a place worth living. Workers unite!!

    7. Re:This is pretty big! by Iphtashu+Fitz · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Possbily, but since the USSS now seems to be in control of the shadowcrew website you can bet that they have all the server logs, posting histories, etc. from that site. By analyzing all that data they could very well identify other people to investigate. And if they managed to infiltrate this website then it means they can locate & infiltrate others.

    8. Re:This is pretty big! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The secret service was working on this for a long time.... the investigation was discussed on Shadowcrew in 2003 --- the site's anonymous host provider came on board to let everyone know that his servers had just been seized.

      The site was down for a few days and came back up using backups -- the admins claimed they were now safe because it was far off-shore (the previous host was in Canada).

      More than likely, the feds had quite a bit of surveillance going on --- it would not have been difficult to catch some of these creeps. If this is really significant, you'll find out that some anonymous proxy providers have had their records seized.

      In fact, if you read through their logs, you'll find that members were busted on a regular basis. I think the feds were milking it for a long time.

    9. Re:This is pretty big! by FrYGuY101 · · Score: 3, Funny

      The United States Secret Service was formed in 1865. The Schutzstaffel was formed in 1925.

      Under your logic, were I to form a terrorist group and name it "John Kerry", he should have to change his name.

      Shit. I just named a presidential candidate, Nazi orginization, AND the word 'terrorist' in the same post... oh well, the NSA was slashdotted earlier, I'm sure they won't be coming to get me, I'm safe here in..@#%#$%34j[CARRIER LOST]

      --
      "If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living."

      - Seneca
  2. We need more action on identity theft by mind21_98 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Identity theft can destroy people, literally. Not to mention the years it could take to clean up the damage. This is excellent, and hopefully more busts will follow. :)

    --
    US businesses that currently accept chip and PIN/signature
    1. Re:We need more action on identity theft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah identity theft is terrible.

      Good job they've caught these people - according to the article they arrested George W. Bush and the Queen of England, and they're looking for a certain Mickey Mouse.

    2. Re:We need more action on identity theft by kentmartin · · Score: 5, Funny

      Identity theft can destroy people, literally.

      Identity theft, the worlds leading cause of spontaneous human combustion. Four out of five leading physicists agree.

    3. Re:We need more action on identity theft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      If you go by the /. norm, this isn't Identity Theft, this is Identity Infringment right?

      After all, they didn't take the person's Identity, they just made a copy for themselves....

      -- End of Sarcasim --

    4. Re:We need more action on identity theft by shrykk · · Score: 1

      If you go by the /. norm, this isn't Identity Theft, this is Identity Infringment right?

      That's pretty funny. Though obviously, once someone, uh, infringes your ID, they're going to run up credit card bills in your name, which is fraud any way you look at it.

      --
      #define struct union /* Reduce memory usage */
    5. Re:We need more action on identity theft by AndroidCat · · Score: 3, Funny

      That happened to me once! I got better.

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    6. Re:We need more action on identity theft by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1
      After all, they didn't take the person's Identity, they just made a copy for themselves....

      This is more like improper use of a singleton, where changes made by one module have side effects for the originating module.

    7. Re:We need more action on identity theft by rjune · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Been There -- I've had to deal with identity theft. Trying to clean up the mess is like having a part time job. Your are victimized twice for each instance, once by the dirtbag who did it, and once by the "creditor". The collection agency will also try a number of illegal tactics also, don't give them any bank account information. These people need to get some real prison time, 10+ years, so the word gets out.

    8. Re:We need more action on identity theft by TykeClone · · Score: 1

      Identity theft should be a capital offense. Life sentences should be the minimum punishment.

      --
      A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.
    9. Re:We need more action on identity theft by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 1
      On that note, I was reading that researchers think they have solved the puzzle of spontaneous human combustion.

      It turns out that all of the victims had several things in common. They were overweight. All were immobilized by age, illness, sleeping pills, or a really long bender. All were smoking. The theory is now their clothes caught fire, which quickly spread to the layers of fat under their skin.

      --
      "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
      --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
    10. Re:We need more action on identity theft by Proteus · · Score: 3, Informative
      Identity theft should be a capital offense. Life sentences should be the minimum punishment.
      Your so-called "Identity Theft" is actually something that's been around for a long time: fraud. In this case, financial fraud by impersonating another person.

      Fraud already carries some serious penalties -- the new wave of fraud has more to do with the difficulty of tracing someone who obtains personal information for the purposes of fraud using the Internet. We now have people capable of defrauding others from distant countries. I think we're much better off spending time and money on improving forensic abilities, requiring creditors and vendors accepting credit to implement better security measures, and educating consumers about how they can protect themselves.

      The punishment for identity fraud should be:
      • Restitution of funds gaind by fraud, by 200% (defraud me of $6000, pay me $12000 back)
      • Required to contact defrauded creditors, with a monitoring justice agent, and clear the accounts
      • Denied credit for a term of 20 years
      • For "grand" fraud (over $20000), some prison time
      • Fines constituting 20% of funds defrauded, the majority of which enforcment agencies can keep.


      Those might help agencies develop better security and forensics, which leads to more criminals being caught. When people are actually getting caught, then the penalties are actually effective deterrents.
      --
      We may not imagine how our lives could be more frustrating and complex—but Congress can. – Cullen Hightower
    11. Re:We need more action on identity theft by infinite9 · · Score: 1

      Identity theft can destroy people, literally.

      Who's the real criminal here? Those who exploit the system, or those who allow the system to be exploited?

      --
      Disconnect your television. Do your own research. Draw your own conclusions. They're probably lying. Don't be a sheep.
    12. Re:We need more action on identity theft by Jim_Maryland · · Score: 1

      Generally agree with you but how will paying 200% (defraud me of $6000, pay me $12000 back) really work? Likely the money will come from the account of another victim. If the person doing the fraud had a significant amount of money to begin with, they'd be less likely to do identity fraud.

      For the rest of the punishment ideas, what you listed sounds good to me. I have a neighbor who has the misfortune of having a very common name (Kim Smith) and she's been battling for about 5 years because another Kim Smith ruined her credit.

    13. Re:We need more action on identity theft by mwood · · Score: 1

      Hmmm, I'd say that a lot of the blame rests with businesses that have extremely lax methods of determining a customer's identity, and their liability should be commensurate. That someone can recite my Social Security number, for example, says *nothing whatever* about who he is, and in particular whether he's me.

      As to punishment, double or treble damages sounds fine but I think that the victim only needs to recover actual damages; the rest is a fine and goes to support the agency that broke the case. If someone took $5,000 from me then I want my $5,000 back, and if he needs to lose $5,000,000 in order to feel he's been significantly punished then that is an entirely separate issue. In egregious cases it is not unreasonable to exact so much from the offending entity that it cannot possibly recover, but the victims need recover only what they lost.

      I particularly like the idea of making the fraudster contact a whole slew of creditors and confess personally.

    14. Re:We need more action on identity theft by TykeClone · · Score: 1
      One of the good things in the Patriot Act (man, I'll get slammed for this!) is the Customer Identification requirement for financial institutions - it should now take more than a name, address, and social security number to open an account.

      I agree with your punishments, but I'd still say that life in prison would be about right for those who commit this type of fraud on more than one other person.

      Those might help agencies develop better security and forensics, which leads to more criminals being caught. When people are actually getting caught, then the penalties are actually effective deterrents.

      And law enforcement also needs to step it up and realize that this is a serious problem. Right now, many law enforcement officers don't view this as a problem - sure it sucks to have to clean up your credit record and the "credit card companies" lose some money, but no harm no foul.

      --
      A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.
    15. Re:We need more action on identity theft by AnotherBlackHat · · Score: 1

      The collection agency will also try a number of illegal tactics also, don't give them any bank account information. These people need to get some real prison time, 10+ years, so the word gets out.


      Sadly, law enforcement rarely even punishes them for trying to collect a "debt" illegally.

    16. Re:We need more action on identity theft by cayenne8 · · Score: 1
      "One of the good things in the Patriot Act (man, I'll get slammed for this!) is the Customer Identification requirement for financial institutions - it should now take more than a name, address, and social security number to open an account."

      Ok...just curious. How will this Customer Identification reqt.s help to supress identity theft? Sounds to me like it only serves as a means to enhance the IRS and other Fed's ability to accurately track your money....or at the very least...make it a pain for a normal law abiding citizen to open a new acct....especially when you've just moved into a new town, and may not have a permanet address yet...

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    17. Re:We need more action on identity theft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
      Identity theft can destroy people, literally.

      You mean metaphorically, not literally.

    18. Re:We need more action on identity theft by TykeClone · · Score: 1
      Any time I open a new account (either a loan or a deposit account), I need to produce ID and some form of proof of address (and there are secondary forms of ID which one can use to help prove that to the financial institution). This part of the Patriot Act was put in to stop money laundering for terrorists and drug traffickers, but it should have the helpful side effect of reducing identity theft by raising the bar and making it more difficult to open accounts under someone else's name.

      Opening accounts for law-abiding citizens is no worse now than before this took effect. If you've opened any new accounts in the last 10 years, you'd know how much paperwork it involves (even for deposit accounts!) - the ID stuff doesn't add that much to it.

      As far as tracking money, section 314(a) is the part that you're thinking of :)

      --
      A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.
    19. Re:We need more action on identity theft by Proteus · · Score: 1

      Likely the money will come from the account of another victim.

      What I had in mind included parole-style supervision, the requirement to get a job, and to have one's paycheck docked a bit each cycle until the restitution is completed.

      If the person doing the fraud had a significant amount of money to begin with, they'd be less likely to do identity fraud.

      I don't know if that's really true. Fraud seems to stem from greed, not need, and greed is universal.

      As an aside, I wish your friend the best of luck.

      --
      We may not imagine how our lives could be more frustrating and complex—but Congress can. – Cullen Hightower
    20. Re:We need more action on identity theft by Jim_Maryland · · Score: 1

      I don't know if that's really true. Fraud seems to stem from greed, not need, and greed is universal.

      I'll agree with that to some extent. My thought was that a person who has more to lose will be a bit more careful with their actions. Doesn't guarantee that a person will be honest, but it probably reduces the chance they'll commit fraud.

      My neighbor, who had her credit ruined, is doing much better now. Her incident was a couple years back so things are starting to return to normal. They also managed to find the person involved, which helped a bit too. She still had to deal with the creditors involved though to prove that it wasn't her, and they weren't always willing to clear things up too quickly.

  3. spammers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Lets hope they are going after the viagra selling rings too

    1. Re:spammers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      AC for obvious reasons but shadow crew was a place that you could by cheap viagra from overseas.

    2. Re:spammers by Eric+Giguere · · Score: 1

      Nah, the spammers will just find something else to sell, like they did with Vioxx. See the quote by spam king Pone Leray in Vioxx recall reduces worldwide spam

      Eric
      See the HTTP headers your browser is sending

    3. Re:spammers by f0dder · · Score: 1

      Anyone who buys drugs from the 'net especially from groups like this deserve whatever they get from ingesting those products.

    4. Re:spammers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because bad judgement makes a person deserving of physical illness.

  4. Not very subtle! :) by evenprime · · Score: 4, Funny

    The fed-version of their website is priceless. I especially like the music and the picture of hands reaching through the bars of a jail cell.

    --

    "Weapons should be hardy rather than decorative" - Miyamoto Musashi
    I think that goes for OS's too
  5. Nice Touch !!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    First they bust them, then they 'fix' their website.

    Now we slashdot the poor thing into oblivion.

    Who would have thought that there was a future in law enforcement for webmasters ? Puts a whole new slant on 'deputy webmaster' ;-)

    1. Re:Nice Touch !!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Perhaps the Slashdotting is the 'fixing' of their web-site. As it was used to spread malicious information, a DDOS attack would be just what's needed to bring it down.

  6. owned. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Hacked by Chine^H^H^H^H^HSecret Service!

  7. Yes, but... by IceFreak2000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... how long before the US Secret Service gets served a writ by the RIAA for damages related to the use of the Mission Impossible theme tune? ;)

    --
    Life is like a sewer; what you get out of it depends on what you put into it...
    1. Re:Yes, but... by DarkMantle · · Score: 1

      Who marked This funny??? You know it's gonna happen..

      This should be Insightful

      --
      DarkMantle I been bored, so I started a blog.
    2. Re:Yes, but... by Viceice · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I hope they do. Then the USSS will get pissed at em and raid them under Organised Crime charges. If the RIAA isn't an extortion racket, i don't know what is.

      --
      Sometimes I wish I was a plumber, then I'd know how to deal with other people's shit.
    3. Re:Yes, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      What you are all failing to understand is that it is not the USSS that put that page up there. It is funny, but not the work of our Gov't. It is the sites owner, and not the first time he has done this on the site. It used to say something about the FBI taking the site down...

    4. Re:Yes, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually the US goverment can do what it LIKES with copyrighted material. Its written INTO the law...

  8. The top secret stamp effect by Eudial · · Score: 4, Funny

    Morons. If you want to conspire, wouldn't it be smart to do it somewhere with a wee bit less conspicuous name than shadow crew?

    --
    GAAH! MY PRINTER IS ON FIRE!!! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!
    1. Re:The top secret stamp effect by Amiga+Lover · · Score: 1

      Never fear, I have it on good authority that the next US Secret Service targets are the massive online drug smuggling ring American Geneaology , another two identity theft conspiracies that go by the name Worcestor Collector's Society and The Royal Canon Assn then finally what will be their biggest bust yet, child pornographers at Teapot Cosy Appreciators of Georgia .

    2. Re:The top secret stamp effect by Tracer_Bullet82 · · Score: 1

      People will always have the need for recognition and group ownership.

      Cost not neccesarily, if hardly calculated.

      --


      Timang tinggi tinggi
      parang sudah asah
      alang alang mandi
      biar sampai basah
    3. Re:The top secret stamp effect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean like Icy Hot Stuntaz?

    4. Re:The top secret stamp effect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The fluffy bunny friend crew !

  9. Crafty buggers by upside · · Score: 3, Funny

    "...a group of people who stole ... a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria."

    Sorry, just had to nitpick. ;)

    --
    I'm sorry if I haven't offended anyone
    1. Re:Crafty buggers by Seventh+Magpie · · Score: 1

      "Dubbed Operation Firewall, the Secret Service identified a group of people who stole over 1.7 million credit card numbers as well as a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria" This sentence is correct because of the use of "as well as." Now substitute "and" then it would be a poorly written sentence. But yeah, you do have to reread it!

    2. Re:Crafty buggers by Arminator · · Score: 1

      The "as well as" doesn't give the "passport-forging facility" an additional verb like "running" or "operating".
      Therefore the sentence still has the meaning that they stole credit card numbers as well as the passport firm.

    3. Re:Crafty buggers by Carthag · · Score: 1

      "Dubbed Operation Firewall, the Secret Service identified (a group of people who stole over 1.7 million credit card numbers) as well as (a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria)"

      It would be easier to read with commas, I'll give you that, but I'm not sure it's actually incorrect.

    4. Re:Crafty buggers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's perfectly correct, they're quite clearly and correctly (grammatically speaking, that is) that these people stole a passport-forging facility.

    5. Re:Crafty buggers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Dubbed Operation Firewall, the Secret Service identified a group of people who stole over 1.7 million credit card numbers as well as a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria."

      remove modifiers

      The secret service identified people as well as a facility.

      Maybe I'm weird, but this is the way I read. Perhaps a result of reading airport novels, cover to cover, on a three hour flight. Once you've read enough to establish a context in your mind, it doesn't take much practice to race through a novels plot.

    6. Re:Crafty buggers by pjt33 · · Score: 1
      Glad I'm not the only one who spotted that. It's also interesting to note that according to the summary, the USSS has been renamed:
      Dubbed Operation Firewall, the Secret Service...
    7. Re:Crafty buggers by nSignIfikaNt · · Score: 1

      "Dubbed Operation Firewall, the Secret Service identified a group of people who stole over 1.7 million credit card numbers as well as a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria."

      In the sentence above, "a group of people" is the direct object of the verb "identified". The phrase "who stole over 1.7 million credit card numbers" is the object complement of the direct object "a group of people". With the inclusion of the phrase "as well as" the author includes a second direct object, "passport-forging facility", to the verb "identified".

      So the sentence correctly states that the US Secret Service identified a group of people and a passport-forging facility.

      --
      I'm not a karma whore but I play one on Slashdot
    8. Re:Crafty buggers by Superfreaker · · Score: 1

      "...a group of people who stole ... a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria."

      I'm sure they mean they stole a DeskJet and a scanner.

    9. Re:Crafty buggers by mwood · · Score: 1

      All of you who thought, in school, that diagramming sentences was stupid: now you see why it isn't! :-)

  10. warning from the us ss by Basje · · Score: 1

    On the site: Proxies, VPNs, IP Spoofing, Encryption, etc....You Are No Longer Anonymous!!

    Well, aren't we glad? There's the proof that lifting anonimity is only for your own good </sarcasm>

    --
    the pun is mightier than the sword
    1. Re:warning from the us ss by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey remember this: 'You have no privacy. Get over it'. Scott McNealy.

      I wonder if they had his credit card details, would he be 'over it'?

    2. Re:warning from the us ss by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You've been waiting for years just so you could slip that comment in, haven't you. Get over it.

  11. OT: pwned by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This really made my up-sick-in-the-middle-of-the night. That "redesigned" page was great. I'm sure a few people had to go change their pants the first time they loaded that one.

  12. Re:Not very subtle! :) by Seventh+Magpie · · Score: 2, Funny

    What makes that picture especially scary for the members when they visit it is that there is no computer in that jail cell. No computer for 10 years?!? That's worse than a death sentance to some of them!

  13. Defaced by Secret Service? by sverrehu · · Score: 1

    Hey, attrition, did you make a note on that?

  14. us secret service by marc252 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I like the phrase:
    "CONTACT YOUR LOCAL UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE FIELD OFFICE....BEFORE WE CONTACT YOU!!"
    Yeah! like I know where the local offices are :-) Aren't they supposed to be secret?
    Is it like a franchise? You get macdonalds and right next to it "your local us secret service office"!
    Great!

    1. Re:us secret service by marktaw.com · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think that kind of thing is actually in your phone book.

    2. Re:us secret service by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Last time I was in the USA I took a photograph which provides me with a constant source of amusement. The subject is of a group of people guarding the white house. On each of thier backs is written in prominent letters `Secret Police'.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    3. Re:us secret service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Speaking of secret agencies, I recall a slashdot article about the most secret organization in the US. I think they sold technology to the US government as their primary source of revenue, and this organization was supposedly highly secretive and nobody heard of it, but they claim they're everywhere. The dilemma is that I don't remember too much about the article and can't find it, and subsequently can't convince my family members or friends that I'm not crazy! Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

    4. Re:us secret service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      we could tell you but then we'd have to kill you...

    5. Re:us secret service by Fred_A · · Score: 1

      In Bulgaria ?

      The US domestic agencies have offices in all countries ?

      --

      May contain traces of nut.
      Made from the freshest electrons.
    6. Re:us secret service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well,
      They were using US credit card numbers, you don't think they would have the technology to read a phone book of the US in Bulgaria?

    7. Re:us secret service by pjt33 · · Score: 1

      Okay, so say I'm in Sofia. In which US state is my local USSS office located? Florida, on the grounds that it's probably the nearest to me? Or do I want the Washington, D.C. office, on the grounds it's probably the one nearest to my embassy?

    8. Re:us secret service by Wizarth · · Score: 1

      Do they have an Australian branch? Or do I have to contact ASIO, on their behalf?

    9. Re:us secret service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Possibly you mean RAND Corp?

    10. Re:us secret service by mwood · · Score: 1

      Well, they're listed in the Blue Pages of my phone book under Secret Service. Phone number *and* URL. No local office address, though; I suppose they'll tell me if they think I need to know it.

      If you want to turn yourself in, I'm sure they can direct you if you just call the D.C. office.

    11. Re:us secret service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Okay, so say I'm in Sofia. In which US state is my local USSS office located? Florida, on the grounds that it's probably the nearest to me? Or do I want the Washington, D.C. office, on the grounds it's probably the one nearest to my embassy?


      No, it'd probably be the on in Sofia. Doesn't list the street address, but I'm sure you could find it if you, you know, looked rather than making assumptions.

      See here.
    12. Re:us secret service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dynacorp or Halliburton. Well, everyones heard of Halliburton (thanks Dick Cheney for getting us into war in Iraq and giving your former company no-bid contracts to do things a private company cannot do on the battlefield). So maybe Dynacorp. Hello, operation fuck up South America. RAND is another good guess (as someone else posted).

    13. Re:us secret service by Happy+go+Lucky · · Score: 1
      The US domestic agencies have offices in all countries ?

      Not all of the subjects were outside of the US.

      Also, a few dozen of the larger US embassies do have an official with the title "Legal Attache." He's actually an FBI agent with the assigment of coordinating with local agencies.

      The remainder of US missions at least have some non-cop who's supposed to be able to pass information along.

      As for the question about finding a USSS agent within the US, try your phone book. It's in the blue pages, and will be under "Federal."

  15. Jurisdiction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    At the risk of *sounding* like a troll, what does this have to do with what I thought was the sole task of the United States Secret Service -- protecting the President of the United States? I would have thought this would have been a task for the FBI. What gives?

    1. Re:Jurisdiction by packeteer · · Score: 1

      Oh no... they alsop go after counterfite currency. If you so much as prinot off crappy rediclous looking fake money on your xerox its the USSS thats after you. There have been stores about teenegers thinking its funny using a standr printer who were charged with folonies. Basically if you fuck with fake US dollars the secret service is after you.

      --
      unzip; strip; touch; finger; mount; fsck; more; yes; unmount; sleep
    2. Re:Jurisdiction by tristan-jt2 · · Score: 5, Informative

      I'm not a US citizen, so I may well be mistaken, but the USSS is part of the Department of Treasury. One of their better known mission is to deal with couterfeit money (beside of protecting the POTUS).

      Since ID theft has the potential of screwing up the financial system in a rather major way, I'm not too surprised they got involved on that case.

      Anyway, the idea of "defacing" the site was bloddy brilliant. It gives the strong message that the Law can get to the frauders level in order to catch them. I'm pretty sure the message got through to a few people in a much stronger way than a simple press release would have.

    3. Re:Jurisdiction by bani · · Score: 4, Informative

      the secret service investigate and prosecute forgery. read it on their web site:

      http://www.secretservice.gov/investigations.shtm l

      "The Secret Service was established as a law enforcement agency in 1865. While most people associate the Secret Service with Presidential protection, our original mandate was to investigate the counterfeiting of U.S. currency--which we still do . Today our primary investigative mission is to safeguard the payment and financial systems of the United States. This has been historically accomplished through the enforcement of the counterfeiting statutes to preserve the integrity of United States currency, coin and financial obligations. Since 1984, our investigative responsibilities have expanded to include crimes that involve financial institution fraud, computer and telecommunications fraud, false identification documents, access device fraud, advance fee fraud, electronic funds transfers, and money laundering as it relates to our core violations."

    4. Re:Jurisdiction by syrinje · · Score: 1
      The Secret Service are the original T-Men - T for Treasury. Protecting the president is ONLY ONE of their jobs. Established in 1865 to investigate currency counterfeiting, they only began part-time presidential protection duties in 1894. The bulk of the USSS agents investigate all kinds of money related fraud.

      They are probably the single most non-partisan and politically un-influenceable investigating agency in the employ of the US government (Hopefully that is not just PR spin!).

      --
      See that long UID - that's what you get for lurking too long
    5. Re:Jurisdiction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Since 1984??? 1984???

      Spooky!
      [oops, another bad pun!]

    6. Re:Jurisdiction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They're partisan on the side of pro- fiat-money forces, and therefore evil. DOWN WITH THE FEDERAL RESERVE!

    7. Re:Jurisdiction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I may well be mistaken, but the USSS is part of the Department of Treasury

      They were, but now they're part of the Department of Homeland Security

    8. Re:Jurisdiction by The+Rizz · · Score: 1

      The Secret Service is not just for protection of President / etc.

      They also are charged with various other jobs, including (according to their website):
      laws relating to counterfeiting of obligations and securities of the United States; financial crimes that include, but are not limited to, access device fraud, financial institution fraud, identity theft, computer fraud; and computer-based attacks on our nation's financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure.

      Since it looks like this site was pretty much a lot of identity theft and forging passports, that would be the reason the Secret Service got involved...

    9. Re:Jurisdiction by Nicholas+Evans · · Score: 1
      It gives the strong message that the Law can get to the frauders level in order to catch them.

      Yea, I'm all for having cops strangle twenty women in order to catch a murderer!

      So, since when have the FBI been allowed to commit cybercrimes? Isn't this just like spraypainting someone's house on halloween?

      --
      The Yasashii Syndicate ||
    10. Re:Jurisdiction by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      *So, since when have the FBI been allowed to commit cybercrimes?*

      since they were formed, essentially.

      "that's not fair" "it is, it is!"

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    11. Re:Jurisdiction by TykeClone · · Score: 1

      They must have been pretty good to commit cybercrimes in the 30's and 40's!

      --
      A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.
    12. Re:Jurisdiction by Viceice · · Score: 1

      Ok so say the police raid a house or some building that was being used to carry out illigal activity. So after the raid, the cops seal the house, put up some crime scene tape, a notice that the house is sealed by the police and maybe an anti-crime poster. Reasonable yes?

      The way i see it, it's the same thing, except instead of physical property, it's a website.

      --
      Sometimes I wish I was a plumber, then I'd know how to deal with other people's shit.
    13. Re:Jurisdiction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe you should take a basic high school level US Government class, you ignorant fuck.

    14. Re:Jurisdiction by NeoSkandranon · · Score: 1

      No, it's like confiscating the property on which there was a crackhouse, sealing the house and putting "we know who you are" posters on the doors for all the junkies to see. Just done a bit more cleverly

      --
      If you can't see the value in jet powered ants you should turn in your nerd card. - Dunbal (464142)
    15. Re:Jurisdiction by shaneFalco · · Score: 1

      The Secret Service was a part of the Treasury Department from its inception until 2001 when it joined the Department of Homeland Security.

    16. Re:Jurisdiction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Secret Service was established as a law enforcement agency in 1865. [...]

      Surely you meant...

      "Founded in 1492 by uh... demons. The Secret Service is a crack law enforcement agency designed to, oh, I don't know... fight... aliens?"

    17. Re:Jurisdiction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, the Secret Service is a part of the Department of Homeland Security, and they also deal with like bootlegging and smuggling. Hence, the reason that store got a letter from the DHS about that whole Rubix cube knockoff. That one was probably some old geezer who spends his time looking for things to complain about. Hence, he sends a letter around and eventual gets it to them, who don't really care, so they just send a letter based on the complaint.

  16. slashdot by Neo-Rio-101 · · Score: 5, Funny
    The Shadowcrew website has since undergone a makeover thanks to the Secret Service.

    ...and now a free slashdotting to finish them off.

    --
    READY.
    PRINT ""+-0
    1. Re:slashdot by Reziac · · Score: 1

      Yeah, never mind the fines.. think of the bandwidth bill!!

      Actually, when I looked at the forums subpage, it informed me that "1 guest" (evidently myself) was the only person there. Come on, slashdotters, you can do better than that!

      --
      ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
  17. This is interesting by Tajas · · Score: 0

    I was looking at this site and the forums that are still there has a very recent post from someone...

    Just look for yourself - http://www.shadowcrew.com/phpBB2/profile.php?mode= viewprofile&u=4

  18. Too funny... by Omniscientist · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I am no friend of identity theft, and I'm glad to see this happen.

    I find the website hilarious, especially the bottom line:

    "RECENT NEWS REPORTS SHOULD INFORM YOU THAT THE SECRET SERVICE IS INVESTIGATING YOUR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE FIELD OFFICE....BEFORE WE CONTACT YOU!!"

    That is a hilarious signature they have left, but this seems so funny that I'm actually surpised that the Secret Service is having this much of a ball on the website, not something I expect, but like to see!

    1. Re:Too funny... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes sir, I'm a criminal and i'd like to turn my self in?

      On the one hand, I'm sure you might be able to cut a deal.

      On the other hand, no one in their right mind would contact law enforcement and say they are a criminal. A smart person would leave the country, assume the identity of a dead person, and if their lucky sell their rights for a TV mini series.

    2. Re:Too funny... by cjmnews · · Score: 1

      Why don't they look at the google cache to see the logins of some of the people that used the site. Though they may have already done that to get the people they busted already.

      Interesting topics on their board. They appear to be quite blatent about their activities.

      --
      You can lose something that is loose, so tighten the loose item so you don't lose it.
    3. Re:Too funny... by canfirman · · Score: 1

      And who said the secret service was devoid of a sense of humour?

      --
      It is not our abilities that show what we truly are... it is our choices.
  19. One step towards security by Dancin_Santa · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What I would really like, more than the arrest of identity thieves, is the entire identification system become more immune to this kind of theft. By simply eliminating the suspects, the actual threats posed by them have only been reduced in number, not in level of threat. All those identity insecurities still exist in the system waiting to be taken advantage of the next time some palooka decides it's worth it to skim off a few credit card numbers.

    I surely don't have the solution to fix the identity theft problem. In fact, I would leave it to my colleagues here at Slashdot who are much more knowledgable about security issues than I am to hammer out the fine details of a more secure system.

    As we become more dependent upon our identification numbers, credit card numbers, social security numbers, and every other number which identifies and tracks us, we open ourselves up to this kind of identity theft threat. The solution is not simply to lock up the perpetrators, it must be a technical solution which makes it difficult or impossible to steal an identity.

    1. Re:One step towards security by isurge · · Score: 1

      just keep it simple ... don't have identities, ie there is nothing to steal (everyone pays cash) ... then we are back to muggers ... oh well ...

    2. Re:One step towards security by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good luck trying to make a scam proof system. People have been trying to reduce crime since what.. the dawn of civilization? People are ALWAYS going to get their shit stolen by some asshole. No fancy system is going to eliminate human fallibility.

    3. Re:One step towards security by marktaw.com · · Score: 1

      First of all, no system is 100% secure. There is no system that can't be hacked by people determined enough hack it, and exploited by those determined enough to exploit it.

      Second, the system you're proposing sounds overly draconian, and would raise a lot of flags with a lot of the slashdot crowd, the EFF, and liberals everywhere. Things like implanted RFID chips, finger print/retinal scan identification built in to your computer, hardware based ID chips. All a step up in security, and all circumventable and exploitable.

      You can only make it harder for the thieves, not completely secure, and the more readily identifiable you become, the less freedom you have. Would you really give up 20% of your freedom for an 80% increase in security?

    4. Re:One step towards security by gbjbaanb · · Score: 1

      The trouble is that if you want your identity to be provably you, then you also have all the issues concerning privacy.

      See, even if you had a identity card, with a private key on it, issued by the government after you've proven who you are (the tax man definitely knows who you are :) ), and all your online dealings were logged with this key, (so that, to steal your identity, you'd have to steal the key and the passphrase used to activate it, and several biometric checks, etc), then everything you did online could also be traced directly and incontrovertibly to you.

      You could only use the key when you wanted to be identified (eg, buying something with credit card), but I'm sure it'd still be denounced by many, after all, just the thought of having an RFID tag in your driving licence has sent waves of resentment, fear and conspiracy through previous posts on /.

      Oh, and for this to work, we'd need the id cards, and commodity (cheap) hardware readers for them.

    5. Re:One step towards security by LoadWB · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Something which really irks me is how many of my accounts require that I provide my SSAN over the phone as proof of my identity. My SSAN appears on countless documents throughout my life, most of which have passed through insecure hands, and some probably misplaced or lost so others can read them. Primarily this includes my military medical documentation (as my sponsor, my father's information is more prominent on these, though my SSAN is used in documents from my early 20's,) and my college documentation.

      I deal with a number of companies which use my SSAN as the "key" to my account, some which (supposedly) supplant it with a passphrase -- though a representative of one company told me that if I couldn't remember my passphrase she would accept my SSAN! This completely goes against my reason for having a passphrase on the account in the first place! I will not go into detail about with which companies I have accounts covered by this policity, but suffice to say that just about every service I am provided suffers in this way.

      Like the parent, I cannot myself come up with a feasible system for replacement. I even had one company rep ask me what I would prefer to use, I answered "I don't care, just not my [SSAN]." Not necessarily true, since some companies ask for information which can be read directly off a stolen or misdirected envelope.

      None-the-less, the current system IS broken and IS too easy to subvert. I find that too many entities look to the end user for solutions to their problems, as illustrated by the above question posed to me. I am sorry, but it is not the customer's responsibility to provide a fix to a company's broken procedures; the company itself should invest whatever it takes to ensure its customer/client safety, regardless of the cost.

      Personally, I would opt to pay more for a service which made it more difficult to access my account information. If more companies provided a service like this, eventually it would become the norm and the price of such secure service would settle back down due to competition.

      I do feel the need to address something I provided in my introduction: college documentation. Something as simple as classroom roll sheets is a problem. In more than one class I have attended a sheet of paper was passed around the class (proof of attendance, clarification of class enrollment, or whatever) on which a student was to print his or her name, SSAN, and then sign. Need I say more? Put all of these elements together and think about our personal security. Even I wrote my SSAN on such documents until later in my college life when I thought better of this practice. Only once did my refusal cause a problem, and I ultimately won the argument in front of college administration.

    6. Re:One step towards security by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The end of this comment is tounge in cheek, but actually, its perfectly sensible. You should on no account be given or accept a "social security number" or anything like it, because those numbers do not provide you with security, or anything useful. You should not use a credit card that is in your name. Ever. Even if your "identity" is never stolen, all the authorities everywhere have instant access to a complete record of everything you have bought and everywhere you have been with that card.

      You should in every way possible, use shell identities to do your every day transactions, and wherever possible use cash. Think globally and act localy. Thats what cash allows you to do as a side effect.

      As soon as you are sucked into credit and all the systems surrounding it, you accrete the problems of identity theft and privacy violation on to you. If you dont want these problems, dont use or allow your name to be entered into the systems that create these problems for you.

      And YES you CAN do without a credit card, people did so for thousands of years and were able to conduct business sucessfully and painlessly.

      There is no "technical soultion" to identity theft. locking up these people will not stop it, issuing ID cards will not prevent it, (and will in fact exponentially increase the amount of state ID fraud) and you simply dont need it.

    7. Re:One step towards security by Tony-A · · Score: 1

      it must be a technical solution which makes it difficult or impossible to steal an identity.

      The solution is low tech. It's when your grandparents knew their grandparents.

    8. Re:One step towards security by mumblestheclown · · Score: 1

      Ah yes, the slashdot tinfoil hat crowd certainly wouldn't complain about an end-all-and-be-all centralized single ID system.

      / sarcasm

    9. Re:One step towards security by ElNonoMasa · · Score: 1

      Any time you use your credit card today, information is logged about your activities. The same can be argued with almost every ID out there. The whole point is to prevent forging/cloning, so everyone can be sure that it's really you.

    10. Re:One step towards security by mgdennis · · Score: 1

      This is exactly the same problem with the "War on Drugs". By concentrating on the low levels of crime (small time dealers and addicts) the gov't does little to thwart the real problem. Likewise, when the feds bust a rings of id thieves, there are countless hordes willing to step in and take their place. The real solution is to improve the system to make such activity more difficult. Something about an ounce of prevention...

    11. Re:One step towards security by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We could allways use our National ID#s which we would be forced to commit to memory since they would only be readable from the physical ID by encrypted RFID.

    12. Re:One step towards security by Stiletto · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I've said it before.

      ID theft is only a problem because we place so much importance on our identities. One person can get a home loan. The other can't. One persan can get health insurance. The other can't.

      The simple example is insurance. Insurance rates should not depend on the individual. The whole point of insurance is to spread the risk and cost of rare catastrophic events. Each should pay an equal share. When you get a system like today which is so perfect as to analyse each person's risk and charge him accordingly, why have insurance to begin with?

    13. Re:One step towards security by JimBobJoe · · Score: 1

      What I would really like, more than the arrest of identity thieves, is the entire identification system become more immune to this kind of theft.

      This would be impossible if the system is centralized over a large population. (And I'm thinking large is more than 500,000)

      Prior to photo ID cards (which were only introduced in the late 1960s, and it wasn't really until the 1980s that someone could be expected to have one, at least in the US, add 10 years for Canada) the cost and issues involved in indentifying an individual rest with the institution that needed to do the identifying. Though a pain, each institution had to develop its own way of identifying the person. Without a central identity to steal, fraud was much lower.

      While centralized ID systems (state issued ID, centralized database systems) take the economic costs of identification off institutions, it creates such a huge security hole that it creates all new costs on its own. (And in security terms it's a very bad system, since everything is so brittle--a single failure is a complete failure.)

      I like to illustrate the problem this way. California issues all its drivers licenses from one central location. According to my estimates that's 25,000 licenses per day. How hard could it be to throw in an extra 100 of them, and would anyone notice?

      The economics simply aren't on the side of a perfect system. When you find examples of identity systems without fraud, either the population is small or the ID system has no particular value to a criminal.

      My sig line goes more into photo ID cards themselves. I've often entertained the idea that there is a mathematical formula that would show how accuracy in a large database (like a credit union) drops with the quantity of data objects, and the quantity of data holders. Such a formula would show why the credit union databases are heinous accuracy wise, and why it's so easy to steal identities from them. I'm not able to put such a theory together however.

    14. Re:One step towards security by AbbyNormal · · Score: 1

      Right...We always have and always will. Any system that is created, will always be exploited by devious minds. Its just a matter of time.

      --
      Sig it.
    15. Re:One step towards security by ElNonoMasa · · Score: 1


      I really wish people wouldn't go on like this. For starters, the biometric identifying information on your ID would most likely be a hash only, and to verify it you would be required to perform some task (look into retina scanner, place finger on fingerprint reader etc). RFID chips can perform basic encryption and authentication rather than just plain response, cutting down skimming.

      You need biometrics, and that's just unavoidable. Reason being that there has to be a verifiable link between you and the [smartcard/RFID/etc] at the time of the transaction.

      Encryption, if properly done, can deal with forgery only, but won't deal with cloning.

    16. Re:One step towards security by Proteus · · Score: 1
      Things like implanted RFID chips, finger print/retinal scan identification built in to your computer, hardware based ID chips. All a step up in security, and all circumventable and exploitable.
      There are three major categories of fraud termed "Identity theft":
      • "Phishing", where consumers are tricked into giving out personal account information, allowing consumer accounts to be fraudulently accessed.
      • Clandestine account information fraud: hacking websites, breaking into home computers, etc. to obtain similar information as gotten from phishing
      • Opening credit accounts under a fraudulent name by using someone else's identifying information.

      The first can really only be solved by a combination of user-education and aggressive investigation by financial institutions and government agencies. Of course, banks and the like could use things like OTP, where the single-use keys are mailed to users on pads or stamp-sheets; but that isn't a guarantee (nice idea, though).

      The second can be restricted somewhat through better security measures: a more secure Windows installation out-of-the-box, broadband providers shipping and requiring firewalls with reasonable default settings, legal requirements for security on sites which work with financial information.

      The last could be seriously reduced if you a credit agency would call you and request an assigned PIN before releasing your information to any creditor. The call would consist of "Hello. With whom am I speaking?" (you reply with your name, if it matches the requester name, then they say) "thank you, [name], I am so-and-so from Credit Agency , and I'm calling to confirm that you've requested a credit card from Discover; is that correct?" (yes) "Can you confirm [information, i.e. billing ZIP, last 4 of SSN, whatever]?" (confirm) "Ok, to confirm this release, you need to call 1-888-42-CREDIT and enter your PIN. The case number for this is #42-1337-09."

      After that, the person calls the credit hotline, enters the case number, then their PIN, confirming the application. Yeah, it isn't foolproof, but it isn't "draconian" and it would make fraud more difficult -- and provide more evidence to follow when fraud does occur.
      --
      We may not imagine how our lives could be more frustrating and complex—but Congress can. – Cullen Hightower
    17. Re:One step towards security by schovanec · · Score: 1
      The last could be seriously reduced if you a credit agency would call you and request an assigned PIN before releasing your information to any creditor.

      Most (all?) credit card issuing companies already try do something similar to this in reverse (i.e. you have to call them to activate your card). Unfortunately their implementation is rather useless: Last time I did this I don't think they asked for any identifying information that was not included in the envelope with the card.

      I think a big part of the problem is with the places that offer "instant" credit. You walk into some big-box store, and they offer you 10% off your purchase if you open a credit account with them and charge your purchase right now. All you need to open that account is a major credit card. It doesn't matter much to the crook even if he can't later activate the card that goes with the account, because his (presumably) big-ticket item is already charged to the account. If credit companies had to call you at home to verify, they could not do this anymore. That would probably be a good thing as it would have the side-effect of preventing some people from opening credit accounts that they really can't afford to have.

    18. Re:One step towards security by hobbesx · · Score: 1

      As long as there is greed, there will always be a problem id theft though-

      I work for a company that sells expensive medical equipment online, and we receive between 2-10 fraudulent orders every week. 99.9% of them are immediately very suspicious, if not completely obvious. The problem comes where there's a big order with lots of profit to be made; suddenly that order seems a lot more tempting. Once someone in the company wants to believe that order is valid, they can find a way to rationalize it.

      Of course, in our process there is a certain amount of personal attention required for each order, so at least one set of eyes has to look at each order before it's picked and shipped. In a high-volume store with a more automated process things aren't necessarily as easy.

      --
      This rating is Unfair ( ) ( ) Fair (*) Funny
      Sigh... If only. Modding would be so much more fun.
    19. Re:One step towards security by innocent_white_lamb · · Score: 1

      If credit companies had to call you at home to verify, they could not do this anymore.

      1. You're in the store. You're not at home to answer the phone.
      2. Here's my phone number. *dial dial dial* *ring* "Fake Identities Inc. May I help you?" "Yes, does Johnny Come Lately live there?" "Of course he does. We all love little Johnny." "Thank you." Sign here sir, enjoy your new plasma tv.

      --
      If you're a zombie and you know it, bite your friend!
    20. Re:One step towards security by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What on earth are you smoking?

      Insurance is to cover unlikely but catastrophic events that would otherwise ruin you. If you can afford the loss, buying insurance to cover it is idiotic.

  20. Did you guys read their forums by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful
    I started reading their cradit card number theft forums and the more I read the more angry I got. I have to agree with other posters: it's a very good thing they busted them.

    The only thing that makes me depressed is that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

    1. Re:Did you guys read their forums by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A reasonable sized tip though. I saw a google cache of their forums and they had several thousand members registered, not to mention thousands of posts/topics. Seemed to be a very active forum.

      Also did a quick search on Google groups, and while there wasn't much on there about them (aside from stuff about a recent joe-job attack _against_ them -- karma's a bitch eh?), I found post where some carder kiddie asks if a potential seller of credit cards is a 'reviewed vendor on shadowcrew'. There are many people out there who are inclined to this behavior, but having dumbass websites like shadowcrew only encourages people riding the fence to cross over and actually participate. It's like the so-called 'internet security' sites (think zone-h.org) that claim to be legitimate security resources but really do little more than post news jacked from other sites and provide script kiddies the l33t3st 0-day exploits under the guise of providing 'educational material'. Sorry, that doesn't cut it. Give a loaded gun to a retard, expect casualties -- not enlightenment.

      So anyway, this may be one small step in the bigger picture, but it's definately a deep one. I'm sure this bust was enough to scare at least a few hundred of those wannabe criminals straight, and that's a few hundred less morons for us to worry about.

  21. Shame on you... by dbCooper0 · · Score: 3, Funny
    I clicked on the link...twice even...now I'm earmarked for Federal Investigation, like I need that in my humble, growing-something-in-the-basement life I try to live.

    Shame on you, Slashdot!.

    My life is in despair because of you!

    --
    db
    Cig:
    ôô
    /`
    1. Re:Shame on you... by rotor · · Score: 1

      Lucky me - my company blocked the site, so now the Feds won't be looking for me. Oh hey - what's this pink piece of paper on my desk?

      --
      Addlepated - punk & metal
  22. ShadowCrew "Joe Jobs" by alanw · · Score: 4, Informative
    Shadowcrew has its very own entry in the Snopes Urban legends page, after being the subject of "Joe-Job" e-mails claiming that "your credit card has been charged $149.95 for child pornography"

    One can only wonder who was responsible. A rival group of fraudsters perhaps, or someone trying to bring them into further disrepute?

    1. Re:ShadowCrew "Joe Jobs" by bani · · Score: 1

      couldnt have happened to a more deserving group of people.

    2. Re:ShadowCrew "Joe Jobs" by Halo1 · · Score: 1

      Yes, I really loved getting all those spams. I hope they catch the idiot that sent those mails as well.

      --
      Donate free food here
    3. Re:ShadowCrew "Joe Jobs" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, who's going to tell snopes that the legend was sort of founded in reality?

      You'd think they'd have at least looked into the site a bit.

    4. Re:ShadowCrew "Joe Jobs" by SkiifGeek · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Having received one of the above mentioned spam mails, and having looked at the site redesign, I think that this is NOT courtesy of the USSS. When I received my spam I actually did a bit of digging to uncover what the site was about, since I got several types of Joe Job aimed at them in my inbox (terrorist items, and so on). I traced the Joe Job back to a Finnish DSL net, and passed on the details to the relevant Police Computer Crimes Division, and to abuse@finnishisp.com.

      The real life arrests, and whatnot would be legit, but the site redesign screams out that it is an amateur defacement.

      At the least, as a government agency, the USSS would know that this would be made public, and would not have implemented such a hackish takeover of the site. If they had done it, it would have been more tasteful in terms of appearance.

      This is probably a defacement by the same people Joe Jobbing them, timed to coincide with the news of the arrests. Expect to see this appear on the defacement lists, and for the site to fade quietly into the background like before.

      --
      InfoSec that matters, when it counts.
  23. Thoughts... by mirko · · Score: 1
    • Why this name "Operation Firewall" ?
    • The Bulgarian Mafia popularity grew more and more since the Iron Curtain fall. Now, as their country is about to enter the EEC, I guess this will amplify their actions before shutting them up.
    • This denotes highly skilled technician, I am sure there'd be some good programmers to hire.
    • etc.
    --
    Trolling using another account since 2005.
  24. Re:Not very subtle! :) by metlin · · Score: 1

    Yeah, but some of it is scary --

    Proxies, VPNs, IP Spoofing, Encryption, etc....You Are No Longer Anonymous!!

    Yup, that's always good when it's the bad guys who're being affected, despite all this.

    But pray, what about the good citizens? Or maybe the argument goes that if I'm a good citizen, I've no business wanting all this?

    Hmmm....

  25. funnies by yuri82 · · Score: 1

    , the Secret Service identified a group of people who stole over 1.7 million credit card numbers as well as a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria.

    the secret service doesnt like thieves who still from forgers!

    CONTACT YOUR LOCAL UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE FIELD OFFICE....BEFORE WE CONTACT YOU!!

    thats just beautiful...

    --
    Who is this Karma guy and why is he bad ??
  26. Strong encryption broken? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting
    The web site says:

    Proxies, VPNs, IP Spoofing, Encryption, etc....You Are No Longer Anonymous!!

    Hmm .. that suggests that the feds have broken strong encryption, is that true? I don't think so!

    1. Re:Strong encryption broken? by tristan-jt2 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I read it like a hint that when you're trying to conceal criminal activities behind a VPN, you'd better make sure the endpoint of the VPN has not been owned by the USSS.

      The same goes for encrypted emails and the likes... There's little point in encrypting something if the recipient has had to surrender the key to a law enforcement agency.

  27. God by Tracer_Bullet82 · · Score: 1

    cant help laughing at the way the page is made.

    Well at least they have a sense of humour.

    --


    Timang tinggi tinggi
    parang sudah asah
    alang alang mandi
    biar sampai basah
    1. Re:God by nametaken · · Score: 1

      I suspect what your sig meant to say was "Murdering innocent people in the thousands because your country blows goats in every possible way = cowardice". No?

    2. Re:God by B2382F29 · · Score: 1

      Murdering innocent people in the thousands because your country blows goats in every possible way = cowardice

      No, because he didn't say that the USA are cowardice.....

      --
      Move Sig. For great justice.
    3. Re:God by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh of course, how could I forget. The US has never murdered a single innocent person in its history. There's only 'collateral damage', but no innocents were murdered. Now STFU, because your next infantile comment will be "They Started It!". Go choke on a freedom fry after patting yourself on the back for making the world a 'safer' place where the biggest bully on block violates the Geneva conventions "for great & infinite justice" but the rest of the countries of the world have to follow a different set of rules. WHOOOOOSHHHH!!! What's that I hear? Is it the sound of another job being outsourced while the big-dick men are out making the world safer? Or is it the fact that my sarcasm has gone totally over your head. Bitch.

    4. Re:God by Tracer_Bullet82 · · Score: 1

      "Murdering innocent people in the thousands because your country blows goats in every possible way = cowardice"

      I have no idea what your trying to say?

      I'm not karma pumping. what makes you think I will not get modded down because of my sig.

      Ironic, that your comment is also way offtopic.

      --


      Timang tinggi tinggi
      parang sudah asah
      alang alang mandi
      biar sampai basah
    5. Re:God by TykeClone · · Score: 1

      They're the government - they have no sense of humor. I think that they were serious about it.

      --
      A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.
    6. Re:God by Tracer_Bullet82 · · Score: 1

      Some government employee may have it. Though I doubt the number is large.

      I'm sure they are serious, but serious things doesn't always need serious message.

      Someone who can manage to sent an effective message and still get a few chuckles/laughs is witty/ quite intelligent.

      --


      Timang tinggi tinggi
      parang sudah asah
      alang alang mandi
      biar sampai basah
  28. The Music by LordHatrus · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... makes me want to commit some crimes of my own lol *hangs over desk, typing this message*

  29. Gov't HTML by nadaou · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Secret Service has not yet learnt how to decode the untold mysteries of the
    apparently.

    --
    ~.~
    I'm a peripheral visionary.
  30. OMG by koi88 · · Score: 1


    Secret Service can't afford a web designer?
    "GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 5.0"

    I consider the design of this website also a crime.
    I'll send in Homeland Security. They seem to have nothing to do now, anyway (see previous story on slashdot).

    --

    I don't need a signature.
  31. Defacement? by Colz+Grigor · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Does it strike anyone else as odd that the Secret Service would deface a website in this manner?

    I'm guessing that this was more of a pre-election public relations maneuver and that this was something less of an event than we would be led to believe.

    1. Re:Defacement? by jimicus · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Does it strike anyone else as odd that the Secret Service would deface a website in this manner?

      Odd? Unthinkable. Unless you had already rounded up every single important person in the group, why on Earth would you signal to them that they were under investigation? The tone and design looks more like some kid-in-a-basement-circa 2001 than US Government Office circa 2004.

      I call bullshit. More likely someone with the relevant passwords put that up when it became clear that they were under investigation.

    2. Re:Defacement? by pjt33 · · Score: 1
      Unless you had already rounded up every single important person in the group, why on Earth would you signal to them that they were under investigation?
      Because people under pressure make mistakes.
    3. Re:Defacement? by bigtallmofo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Oh yeah, whenever a law enforcement agency makes a bust, they always like to keep it hush-hush. That way, the person they busted can't be made an example of and discourage additional people from getting into that illegal line of work.

      I'm sure they knew exactly waht they were doing. They probably busted everyone involved in the Shadowcrew group and wanted to leave a nice message to every other group that you're probably being investigated too. It's a standard bluff, and will likely at least make other groups less brazen with what they do (hopefully limiting their harm) if not encourage them to find a more legal line of work.

      --
      I'm a big tall mofo.
    4. Re:Defacement? by wamatt · · Score: 1

      I agree that they don't always keep it hush hush... thats not the issue.

      It was the PRESENTATION and APPROACH that set my BS detector off. How can you be so gullible? Some script kiddie puts "SS IS WATCHING YOU" and people fall for it.

    5. Re:Defacement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Defacement. Why doesn't somebody prosecute the SS? Clearly they're acting without due process, as they can't possibly have a conviction and sentencing already. Would be funny to see some of the black suits getting lead out in handcuffs.

  32. Re:Not very subtle! :) by metlin · · Score: 4, Funny
    LOL!

    From the source-code of the site --
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en-us">
    <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 5.0">
    <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document">
    No wonder -- the word ShadowCrew does not render properly in Firefox =)

    Come on you guys at Secret Service!!! Use a good browser guys ;-)
  33. Re:Not very subtle! :) by Grey+Ninja · · Score: 1

    Just what exactly is a Slashdotter doing using Internet Explorer?

  34. Result from validator.w3.org on www.shadowcrew.com by lordsilence · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    This page is not Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional!

    Below are the results of attempting to parse this document with an SGML parser.

    1.

    Line 1, column 0: no document type declaration; implying ""

    The checked page did not contain a document type ("DOCTYPE") declaration. The Validator has tried to validate with the HTML 4.01 Transitional DTD, but this is quite likely to be incorrect and will generate a large number of incorrect error messages. It is highly recommended that you insert the proper DOCTYPE declaration in your document -- instructions for doing this are given above -- and it is necessary to have this declaration before the page can be declared to be valid.

    2.

    Line 4, column 6: end tag for "HEAD" which is not finished

    Most likely, You nested tags and closed them in the wrong order. For example

    ...

    is not acceptable, as must be closed before

    . Acceptable nesting is:

    ...



    Another possibility is that you used an element (e.g. 'ul') which requires a child element (e.g. 'li') that you did not include. Hence the parent element is "not finished", not complete.

    3.

    Line 4, column 13: end tag for "HTML" which is not finished

    At least I would've thought they'd manage to get this done right!
  35. Slashdotted! by z1d0v · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How long will the will they take to check on all Slashdotters that clicked on the link? I think we just made their job just grew up a bit! :)

    1. Re:Slashdotted! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They probably caught everyone involved before going public with this.

      I hope they check the referrer in the logs to ignore us law-abiding slashdotters.

      On the other hand, if they think slashdotters are a bunch of RIAA-hating, copyright-hating, patent-hating losers, they just might love all the ip logging this story will generate.

    2. Re:Slashdotted! by arivanov · · Score: 1

      Well... They will most likely arrest cowboy Neal for screwing up a government covert op instead.

      --
      Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
      http://www.sigsegv.cx/
    3. Re:Slashdotted! by Chatsubo · · Score: 1

      ... And the slashdot crowd should fit their profiles quite neatly. No mass-elimination here, just about everybody has the required skills and background.

      They'll have to carefully sift the hackers from the crackers.

      OR, they will just realise it's pointless and catch the criminals some other way.

      --
      > no, yes, maybe (tagging beta)
  36. Great design by Vapula · · Score: 1

    We always think about secret services like sinister and serious people...

    But they can also be good humorists... that website is a good example...

    But I also guess that after the site having been slashdotted, they'll have to spend month to sort out all the access to the site... They'll be busy for a long time... and maybe they'll have to recruit more people... Maybe is it the answer to the unemployment problems ;-)

  37. copyright infringement by the secret service by bani · · Score: 4, Insightful

    now watch the RIAA prosecute the secret service under the DMCA for illegally distributing copyrighted music through a website operated by the secret service...

    1. Re:copyright infringement by the secret service by marktaw.com · · Score: 1

      But it's hosted out of Bulgaria, so everything should be OK.

    2. Re:copyright infringement by the secret service by ggvaidya · · Score: 1
      But it's hosted out of Bulgaria, so everything should be OK.

      NOBODY escapes the RIAA inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise, surprise and mindless spambots ... our *two* chief weapons are surprise and mindless spambots ... and lots of lawyers ... our *three* weapons ... *amongst* our weapons are such ... oh god, i'll come in again.

    3. Re:copyright infringement by the secret service by Viceice · · Score: 1

      I hope they do.. and piss off a few people in the service. Then next weeks head line will be about the RIAA being raided and it's entire board arrested for conspiracy, intimidation, extortion and organised crime.

      I can't wait ;)

      --
      Sometimes I wish I was a plumber, then I'd know how to deal with other people's shit.
  38. Clicking on shadowcrew link = being investigated? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Umm...won't clicking on the shadowcrew.com link make our ip address get logged?

    And won't that result in us getting "on the shitlist"?

    Normally, I wouldn't consider this but given the recent news story about homeland security trying to enforce an expired patent, I'm not sure what to expect.

  39. Note to self by yo303 · · Score: 5, Funny
    During the course of the investigation, computer underground criminal groups were identified as Shadowcrew, Carderplanet and Darkprofits.
    I must remember to make my criminal activity website a little more innocent-sounding the next time.

    Darkprofits and Shadowcrew.com? Come on.... they should have gone with shinyfunplace.com or fluffylegitimateactivity.com...

    What do you expect to happen if you run imgoingtokillthepresident.com? Happy fun time?

    yo.

    1. Re:Note to self by Neo-Rio-101 · · Score: 1

      The "secret service" doesn't make for a good name either. Cause if you tell someone what it is, it's not secret anymore.

      Paging captain obvious,... captain obvious.... 8)

      --
      READY.
      PRINT ""+-0
    2. Re:Note to self by Celvin · · Score: 2, Informative

      What do you expect to happen if you run imgoingtokillthepresident.com?

      Well, actually the Norwegian rap-group "Gatas Parlament" (The parliament of the streets) recently put up this page. It's in norwegian, but I really don't think anyone needs a translation.

      I doubt these guys will ever be going to the US...

      (For the reccord: I don't think this is a good joke)

      --
      -- If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there more happy people?
    3. Re:Note to self by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It wasn't innocent, it wasn't supposed to sound innocent...and most of all it was far from a secret. The board operated very openly, anyone was free to register (which was a sort of requirement for the board to be useful, new vendors and customers were always needed). Everyone knew that feds had huge interest to the board, but everyone knew what they were doing as well....or well, they knew what they were doing until now. The huge concern with anonymity finally hit them back big time.

      p.s. wonderland club...now that's an innocent name...didn't save them, did it?

    4. Re:Note to self by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Norwegian to English translation tool says:

      KILLHIM.NU am a tverpolitisk, ikkereligiøs action as works along with to collect money at dusør to shoot George W Bush.

      Family Bush have got do enough breakdown against world's people. World's people has said clearly at about what we fancy about how family Bush committees the world at own discretion. As Bush declines to auscultate what the world considers be bound to Bush away!

      Our fundamental attitude am that it is the too unproblematic to be world's dominant despot. It is the absurd that captain for the times greatest voldsapparat do be about sleep confidently as millions at human beings do not have done a fly harm daily is exposed to violence and whatever worse am.

      We're naturally against violence and homicide, but we considers that to shoot this man not only that am to count as selvforsvar that's it exclusive rational to do.

      (for the record, I think whacking the US president would be a really, really bad).

    5. Re:Note to self by cronius · · Score: 0

      According to a Norwegian paper VG (sorry, no translation) it has caused the American Embassy in Norway to file federal charges against the rap-group.

      --
      Life is Reality
    6. Re:Note to self by jahalme · · Score: 1

      Hmm, the site appears to currently contain only a scan of a fax, sent today (20041029) by the Norwegian Police, on which the content of the site is deemed the illegal and ordered taken down (I think - I know some swedish but not norwegian). I guess they didn't think the joke was funny, either.

    7. Re:Note to self by ppz003 · · Score: 1

      I prefer www.FrontysMeatMarket.com personally.

    8. Re:Note to self by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      or The Legitimate Businessmen's Club :)

    9. Re:Note to self by Dr+Reducto · · Score: 1

      Surprisingly enough, the domain( imgoingtokillthepresident.com) is still available!

  40. Re:Not very subtle! :) by martingunnarsson · · Score: 2, Interesting

    But do you really think the secret service changed the website? Very unprofessional of them in that case... IMHO a more appropriate action would have been to just take it down.

    --
    Martin
  41. Check out the BBS by upside · · Score: 1

    Topics like "How To Replace a Photo on a Passport".

    I bet 'thebestofbc' will be happy to know the Secret Service can get his info from the Shadowcrew server after he's made a post like

    "...on the old canada PP, we used to cut out the pic, lam and all, replace the pic with a new one, then a thin overlam over the whole thing. looked pretty good, but this would not work with any of the new PP's."

    --
    I'm sorry if I haven't offended anyone
  42. This is a hoax by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Shadowcrew is run by bullshitters - this is their idea of a joke. If you really think a government agency would put up a new page like that on the website, then you probably don't know that "gullible" isn't a real word and can't be found in any dictionary.

    1. Re:This is a hoax by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, it's not the same Shadow Crew mentioned in the Press Release as www.shadowcrew.com.

      When will people start researching things before they "break" news stories like this?

    2. Re:This is a hoax by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've already spoken to the SS about this case regarding SC and it is indeed real. I was actually investigating one of the people indicted in the case for other things and have subsequently passed along all relevant info to the Feds. Not sure why the hell the Feds would have put up a page that looks like a defacement, but that's their issue.

      No the SC site wasn't run by bullshitters, it was run by idiot, 20 year old kids. Who in their right mind who have hosted a site like this in the US and had public available forums where they advertise CC dumps and fake passports. Moronic.

  43. Re:Not very subtle! :) by Seventh+Magpie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    well lets think about this. 1) Take it down: 3972 members thinking "oh the site's just down temporarily" 2) Put up the cool USSS site: 3972 members scared for their lives so that they stop their illegal activities and turn themselves in to USSS. (Not to mention have a mental breakdown next time they see Mission Impossible!) Hmm..I think it's a damn good decision.

  44. Cannot find server? by billimad · · Score: 1

    Looks like the slashdot crew are performing our own little "makeover"

  45. The Bill Gates connection... by bigbug · · Score: 1
    They had allegedly made credit cards for someone called Bill Gates. That probably irritated him quite a bit and made him unleash the USSS on them :)

    More info for people who grok Cyrillics:

    http://news.netinfo.bg/?tid=40&oid=653591

    http://news.bg/article.php?cid=7&pid=0&aid=149 248

    --
    Aliquid melius quam pessimum optimum non est.
    1. Re:The Bill Gates connection... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So let me guess. They then showed up in the states speaking with broken english and using a bill gates CC. Yeah, that would not go unnoticed.

    2. Re:The Bill Gates connection... by bigbug · · Score: 1

      You got to appreciate the balls it takes to try this. Or more likely, the idiocy :)

      --
      Aliquid melius quam pessimum optimum non est.
  46. Re:Not very subtle! :) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Or sit back and watch the uniformed engaging in criminal action. That's the most sensible option.

  47. GOT to do something about that name. by fm6 · · Score: 1

    We'd all take the Secret Service a lot more seriously if they updated their name. Back in 1865 it may have been way cool to call your treasury cops a "secret service", but now it alternates between quaintness and confusion Since they're now part of DHS, how about "Homeland Enforcement"? Make a great TV show!

    1. Re:GOT to do something about that name. by Seventh+Magpie · · Score: 2, Funny

      So we can call them the "Hommies?"

  48. `Dubbed Operation Firewall[...]' by R.Caley · · Score: 1
    Does it strike anyone else as worrying that these people are dim enough to use a computer security related codeword to label a computer security related investigation?

    They probably have Password as their password too.

    --
    _O_
    .|<     The named which can be named is not the true named
    1. Re:`Dubbed Operation Firewall[...]' by CoolGopher · · Score: 1
      They probably have Password as their password too.

      Or "eigth asterisks"... ;-)

    2. Re:`Dubbed Operation Firewall[...]' by Basje · · Score: 1

      that's my password too, but I often stumble over the "sks" part at the end... :)

      --
      the pun is mightier than the sword
    3. Re:`Dubbed Operation Firewall[...]' by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Operations get named by pointy-headed bosses. I'm sure the Secret Service, being a governmental organization, has twice the number of PHBs as any corporation.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    4. Re:`Dubbed Operation Firewall[...]' by lachlan76 · · Score: 1

      I know someone whose password _IS_ eight asterisks.

    5. Re:`Dubbed Operation Firewall[...]' by black+mariah · · Score: 0

      You say that as if the name of the operation matters beyond the fucking press release.

      --
      'Standards' in computing only impress those who are impressed by things like 'standards'.
    6. Re:`Dubbed Operation Firewall[...]' by TykeClone · · Score: 1

      It's 1 2 3 4

      --
      A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.
    7. Re:`Dubbed Operation Firewall[...]' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My god, that's the combination I have on my luggage!

  49. That site reminds me of something by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    looks alot like http://modemhelp.net/modemhelp.net's april fool's joke

  50. But... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do they run Linux?
    In Soviet Russia, The Secret services YOU!

    1. Re:But... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I, for one, welcome out new Secret Service overlords!

      Hmm... Somehow that joke doesn't seem so funny in this instance.

    2. Re:But... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Somehow that joke has gotten incredibly old... Oh wait, I know how that's happened. It used to be barely funny, then a bunch of nerds (which isn't bad) decided to post it every 5 minutes on every slashdot threads to the point where everyone wished we could just Welcome our new Shut the F()CK overlords and let the real discussion continue. Honestly do you guys really think that's funny? Grow up.

  51. An entire facility? by Frogbert · · Score: 2, Funny
    the Secret Service identified a group of people who stole over 1.7 million credit card numbers as well as a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria.

    They stole an entire facility? I'm not even mad, I'm impressed. wow.
  52. A bit too elaborate to be a hoax by upside · · Score: 1

    So they populated a BBS with thousands of messages to make it look more real? Right.

    --
    I'm sorry if I haven't offended anyone
    1. Re:A bit too elaborate to be a hoax by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The BBS was real, the takedown is a hoax. www.shadowcrew.com was not the Shadow Crew that was arrested. Or do you think that only one set of people could come up with that ultra-cool name?

    2. Re:A bit too elaborate to be a hoax by upside · · Score: 1

      Yeah, the fact that the bbs is still operational made me wonder why the SS hadn't shut it down. It's got a lot of serious shit on it. However, the CNET article does mention Shadowcrew.com as the site, multiple times. I'd be suprised if they had this detail wrong.

      --
      I'm sorry if I haven't offended anyone
    3. Re:A bit too elaborate to be a hoax by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It wouldn't be the first time CNET had done their own research and got it wrong.

  53. Slashdotted. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you managed to read the shadowcrew.com site forum before we Slashdotters knocked over their webserver, you might have noticed the comments posted a few days ago about how their site was slow, because it was undergoing a DDoS attack.

    If they thought that was bad, I wonder what they're thinking now!

    (Serves them right, anyways. It's too late to look now, but their forums are fill with discussions of how to scam people.)

  54. Re:Not very subtle! :) by balster+neb · · Score: 3, Informative

    The site seems to be slashdotted or something (doesn't load). Mirrordot to the rescue:
    http://www.mirrordot.com/stories/837e41d1433a26838 15e933bda4b46bd/index.html.

    And as for the background sound, the site uses the nonstandard bgsound tag, which will work in IE. It's the theme from Mission: Impossible.

    Classic stuff.

  55. "You can order by phone: : +1-703-547-2000." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    look what i found bout em
    https://www.redhat.com/archives/k12ltsp-list/2 004- January/msg00009.html
    those guys were too dumb...

    1. Re:"You can order by phone: : +1-703-547-2000." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If the SC guys would have been dumb, they would not have lasted for years. They were everything but dumb, you are the retard believing yet another joe-job. And also too dumb to paste a link correctly.

  56. Wait by essreenim · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now where am I going to get my passports?

    oBet, oBkov, Vrat Vseki, zoV Gora, moDa, aDski, DZHob,

    1. Re:Wait by dubl-u · · Score: 1

      identified a group of people who stole over 1.7 million credit card numbers as well as a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria

      Those bastards. Stealing credit card numbers is one thing, but they stole a whole passport-forging facility!

      I imagine them jacking up a grubby old three-story building in the bad part of town, backing a big-ass truck up under it, and driving it off to a remote countryside location. The guy who lived in the apartment on the top floor must have been really perplexed!

    2. Re:Wait by xThinkx · · Score: 5, Funny

      Apparently they stole several tags as well. Be on the lookout...

      --
      Let's get one thing perfectly clear, I did not vote for George W Bush, and I do not endorse what he does or says.
      "
  57. For all outside-US by pinky99 · · Score: 1

    What is the secret service for? I thought it's the president's protection service?

    1. Re:For all outside-US by Too+many+errors,+bai · · Score: 1

      They are a subdivision of the US Treasury and also handle cases like fraud.

    2. Re:For all outside-US by Isaac-Lew · · Score: 1

      Actually, they were moved to the Department of Homeland Security last year.

  58. It would appear... by kcorporation · · Score: 0

    that the Shadowcrew webserver has also undergone a makeover care of Slashdot!

  59. Re:Clicking on shadowcrew link = being investigate by ivan37 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can see the headline now:

    "Hundreds of thousends of nerds arrested for suspicion of identity theft"

    Yep - you are going to be arrested within an hour of visiting the site because of the Patriot Act and then you will be sent to Cuba within a day and held as an enemy combatant.

    Here's a fun trick: Go to your friend's house and ask if you can check your email quick from their computer and visit the site. Sit across the street and laugh as unmarked vans take your friend away.

  60. Re:Not very subtle! :) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    TINHAT ON

    Dude that's how they get into your system!

    TINHAT OFF

  61. Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Only using our site you can get every detail of any US citizen including SSN number:

    http://www.shadowcrew.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t =7 01"

  62. BULGARI IUNACI!!! by uglomera · · Score: 2, Funny

    A nazdrave... :)

    1. Re:BULGARI IUNACI!!! by arivanov · · Score: 1

      Agree wholeheartedly. Where are my mod points when I need them :-)

      Anyway, it is quite funny that some of the most high-tech bits was done by Bulgarians. Hopefully it will help the next time I have to explain an American that they have no fscking idea whatsoever how technologically advanced the criminals are in some East European countries (Bulgaria being the prime example).

      --
      Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
      http://www.sigsegv.cx/
    2. Re:BULGARI IUNACI!!! by Maimun · · Score: 1

      i sme nay-dobri, i sme nay-krasivi! :)

      that's sarcasm, of course

    3. Re:BULGARI IUNACI!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not much point. Most Americans already believe the rest of the world is out to get them, so they'll expect that all eastern european countries are full of mail-order brides and mafia and underground hackers. You'd just be preaching to the choir. VOTE KERRY. Save the world.

    4. Re:BULGARI IUNACI!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh shut up, prost putka.

    5. Re:BULGARI IUNACI!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1:0 za Levski!

  63. Want to see what it looked like before? by Foresto · · Score: 3, Informative

    I think the site is now slashdotted, but the wayback machine reveals a bit of what it used to look like.

    1. Re:Want to see what it looked like before? by AndroidCat · · Score: 2, Funny
      this site was created for the users of this site, allowing them to interact on our forum with no IP logging meaning you are safe at all times.

      Well that's a relief!

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  64. Come on, this is slashdot... by will_die · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The title of this should be Department of Homeland Security busts computer users.
    Then the 90% of the messages will consist of what is homeland security doing busting innocent computer users and how President Bush had a direct involvment.

  65. "Our clients are well known Al-Qaida" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.seanbonner.com/blog/archives/000910.php
    ah! this is real?

  66. Re:Clicking on shadowcrew link = being investigate by bersl2 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Once they see that we were all referred from the same site...

  67. Shadowcrew website has since undergone a makeover by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "The Shadowcrew website has since undergone a makeover thanks to the Secret Service." ... more like thanks to Slashdot! It won't load at all :)

  68. Panic! by fizze · · Score: 1
    The Shadowcrew website has since undergone a makeover thanks to the Secret Service.

    And currently is being slashdotted too. I wonder wether they stole /. account data ? o.O
    Wait, didn't my karma drop considerably recently ?

    --
    Powerful is he who overpowers his temptations.
  69. Some thoughts by marktaw.com · · Score: 1
    By going undercover on the Shadowcrew.com Web site, investigators were able to find out which of the site's 4,000 members were actively taking part in criminal conduct, according to a Secret Service statement. The investigation led to two other Web sites--Cardplanet and Darkprofits--that the Secret Service alleges are the online portals to other financial-crimes organizations.
    You'd think by now these underground websites would learn that you can't just let anyone in to your trusted network. I've actually recieved spam-style emails asking me to join CarderPlanet.com, which was one of the sites involved in the ring. Gee, how hard was it to find them? Sheesh.

    Nothing has connected the fraud ring to any known terrorist group, Townsend said.
    Um... Yeah. Terrorists. I guess that was one of those pre-emptive statements because... you know... someone reading the article would think I hope they weren't going to use my credit card to commit some sort of terrorist act.

    The ShadowCrew homepage sans music
    For those of you who can't see it because it was slashdotted.

  70. Let's hope it's as big as it sounds! by waterbear · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Absolutely this is the kind of case the law enforcers need to investigate and crack down on it hard.

    I'll wait with bated breath to see if they really did get the 'Mr Big's and can nail them.

    Unfortunately, it has occasionally turned out, with big organised crime operations, that the big guys really got away, and the criminal evidence against the others had crucial flaws, so that in the end, after years of delays and millions of taxpayers money in investigation costs and lawyers fees, even the smaller guys got off too.

    I really hope this isn't going to be another one of those. For the time being, we can hope that the cybercops have earned their credit here.

    -wb-

  71. Shadowcrew.com by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    It is still possible to check out the genuine version of this site via http://web.archive.org/web/20020903220621/http://s hadowcrew.com/

  72. How Come they haven't investigated... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...the counterfeit president?

    1. Re:How Come they haven't investigated... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      How come they haven't investigated the counterfeit president?

      They did. They even gave him a brain scan, but they found nothing.

  73. Re:Clicking on shadowcrew link = being investigate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    >'fun trick'

    heck - surely the bosses (or any PHB) pc would be better,

    maybe add it into the favourite list ...heh, even make it the default homepage - although that's a tad obvious.

  74. Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm glad they were finally busted, because I really hate that ID fraud, I tell you!

  75. I'd try it but.... by gilesjuk · · Score: 1

    I know I'd end up stealing the identity of Dwayne Dibley.

  76. darkprofits by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    also boa factory is still up
    google it ull see

  77. Crooks using web sites busted by gp310ad · · Score: 1

    next thing you know the crooks will be using wiki's

    --
    Do not look into LASER with remaining eye!
  78. Only got 1 student from Bulgaria by 1ini · · Score: 1

    The whole "forging facility" consisted of 1 bulgarian student. He was making copies of credit cards. Funny thing is that one of the discovered forged cards belonged to Bill Gates.

    1. Re:Only got 1 student from Bulgaria by dapyx · · Score: 1

      Then he can't be charged with conspiracy. You need at least two people to make a conspiracy.

      --
      I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is an imaginary number. Please rotate your phone 90 degrees and dial again.
  79. Google Cache says by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Google Cache says:

    Discussion Forums

    The Lounge
    Anything goes in this forum. Take your battles and personal matters into the lounge or post news from the fraud world.
    Moderators deck, Mubin, carsen 1476 13239 Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:17 am

    Identification
    Technical discussion on Novelty Identification, 2nd ID, Passports, and the like.
    Moderators pvthc, sigep, carsen 1256

    Cyberspace
    Discussion about hacking, SPAM, online anonymity tools and programs in general.
    Moderators cumbajohnny, mengele 612 3876
    Wed Oct 27, 2004 9:02 pm

    Credit, E-Currencies, Checks, and Bank Accounts
    Discussion concerning credit cards, bank accounts, paypal, e-currencies, credit bureaus, credit reports, and credit services.
    Moderators JimR, Spookycat, Scrilla 2588 18992
    Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:24 am

    Qualification
    Discussion of Diplomas, Employment References, Job searches, Transcript, Etc
    Moderators ShadowReview, macgyver 89

    Auction Forum
    Buy and sell in the Auction forum.
    Moderator Voleur 23 160
    Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:00 am

    Latin American Forum
    Forum for Spanish speaking individuals.
    Moderator MALpadre 24 141
    Wed Oct 27, 2004 6:56 pm

    Tutorials and How-To's
    Learn from those who came before you. *NOTE* You do not post here unless you're going to contribute a tutorial or comment on one that's already written!
    Moderator ShadowReview

    Our users have posted a total of 65491 articles
    We have 4393 registered users
    The newest registered user is Niggaz


    Discussion discussion discussion...lots of it.
  80. think of the agents by gbjbaanb · · Score: 2, Funny
    Boss: Agent Jones, I have a special assignment for you
    AJ: Sir! Yes Sir!
    Boss: I want you to go deep undercover, join this identity theft organisation and bring them to justice.
    AJ: Sir! Yes Sir!

    .. months later ..

    Boss: Agent Jones.
    AJ: what. I'm busy, just one more compile, k.
    Boss: Well done Agent Jones, the thieves are locked up and the world's a safer place.
    AJ: yo! right on! My l33t undercover hax0r sk1lls roxs!
    Boss: hmm. Let me have your mission report.
    AJ: yeah yeah, mission documentation is for wimps. Read the source, luke dude.

    Boss: such a pity. Yet another brave agent lost to the demands placed upon them. The world's such a cruel place.

  81. Bulgarian Student Fakes Bill Gates Credit Card by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Details here

    Now I'm confused: on Slashdot does this make him a bad guy or a good guy?

  82. I love to see the bullies bite the dust. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ACTIVITIES BY SHADOWCREW MEMBERS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE

    UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE

    SEVERAL ARRESTS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN MADE...WITH MANY MORE TO FOLLOW.

    Proxies, VPNs, IP Spoofing, Encryption, etc....You Are No Longer Anonymous!!

    SHADOWCREW TOPICS

    SHADOWCREW MEMBERS ARE FACING THE FOLLOWING CHARGES (*Charges are Not Limited to Below):

    *

    TITLE 18 USC 371 - CONSPIRACY
    *

    TITLE 18 USC 1029 - ACCESS DEVICE FRAUD
    *

    TITLE 18 USC 1028 - FRAUD W/IDENTITY DOCUMENTS, IDENTITY THEFT, ETC.
    *

    TITLE 18 USC 1030 - FRAUD AND RELATED ACTIVITY IN CONNECTION WITH COMPUTERS.

    IF YOU ARE A MEMBER WHO IS CONFUSED AND/OR CONCERNED BY YOUR ACTIONS...PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:

    RECENT NEWS REPORTS SHOULD INFORM YOU THAT THE SECRET SERVICE IS INVESTIGATING YOUR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.

    CONTACT YOUR LOCAL UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE FIELD OFFICE....BEFORE WE CONTACT YOU!!

    1. Re:I love to see the bullies bite the dust. by Deekin_Scalesinger · · Score: 5, Interesting

      In Soviet Russia, the Secret Service local field office contacts YOU before you contact them!

      Back on topic, at my last job I worked with the FBI and Secret Service on bank fraud, kiddie porn, etc cases that were hosted on our web servers. Think what you may about them, but they really have their shit together on these types of events and are dead eager to get the offenders in question. The smart person, if they are trying to do anything highly illegal, would do well to go about their business without using the internet. Once you get the attention of the Feds, its usually lights out for the perp. One case I assisted with was a conspirancy ring involving the sale of illegal guns in the UK, using a US based hosting company (my old job). That case broke earlier this year with several arrests and the destruction of the ring. Scotland Yard was the lead on it with backup from the FBI, with cheerful cooperation from us. Our policy was not to go "fishing" for questionble content on our web servers, but once we were made of illegal activity we would preserve evidence and work with the authorities. I've seen pictures on some website that puts tubgirl to shame, usually involving kids. Made me happy when the Feds would follow up with us and would tell us that they got their man (or men)...

      --
      "As the intrepid kobold companion continues his journey, he begins to wonder... if priests raises dead, why anybody die?
    2. Re:I love to see the bullies bite the dust. by glpierce · · Score: 1

      "That case broke earlier this year with several arrests and the destruction of the ring."

      ...and so Middle-Earth was saved by the American authorities.

      --
      G
  83. Re:Wonder if they got... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you mean other than your mom? I'm not sure.

  84. The best defense against identity theft... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... is not to have one.

  85. The Reality is by Exter-C · · Score: 1

    that there needs to be a huge increase in ways to combat identify theft, ways to make it more difficult to steal identies of people. realistically there is no bulletproof way but the more difficult it gets the better it is as less people will have the means to commit the crime and less people would hopefully be affected.

  86. speaks for itself don't it ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you can buy credit cards on www.carderplanet.net
    * To:
    * Subject: you can buy credit cards on www.carderplanet.net
    * From:
    * Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 17:23:46 -0600 (CST)
    * Old-return-path:

    FORUM.CARDERPLANET.NET

    - My name is Script, I'm a founder of forum.carderplanet.net and i can provide you with excellent credit cards with cvv2 code and without it

    Minimum deal is a USD $200.00.

    - USD $200.00 - there are 300 credit cards without cvv2 code ( visa + mc ) - USA (included credit card number, exp. day. cardholder billing address,zip,state).

    - USD $200.00 - there are 50cc with cvv2 code ( visa +mc) USA (included credit card number, exp. day. cardholder billing address & CVV code from the back side of the card).

    Also i can provide cards with SSN+DOB.
    COST 40$ per one.
    Minimal deal 200$

    - Also i can provide Europe credit cards, France,Germany +UK and many other contries around the globe.
    r
    - All credit cards with good exp day and it's work also so good.

    I'm accept payments through Western Union, E-Gold, WebMoney,direct deposit,cash in bag..

    You can contact me via icq# 100316,icq#100630 also by email: script4cc@ukr.net

    http://forum.carderplanet.net/viewtopic.php?t=41 54

  87. Here is the translation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    DISCLAIMER: I'm not a prefessional translator, my native language is not norwegian, and I'm in a bit of hurry. At least I didn't use an automatic translator that most lazy slashdotters would do to gain some cheap karma.

    Anyway, here's my take on the translation of the page:

    Can anyone shoot this man?
    KILLHIM.NU

    KILLHIM.NU is an action which is not affiliated with any political party, nor religion who are collecting money for (hitmen?) to shoot george W. Bush.

    The Bush family had caused enough harm against the worlds people. The worlds people has voiced their opinion about what we think about the way the Bush family is running the world for their own good. When Bush refuses to listen to what the world has to say then Bush has to be removed!

    It is our opinion that it is too easy to be the dominating world ruler. It is unreasonable that the leader of the greatest violence-machine in history are allowed to sleep safe while millions of people who hasn't hurt anyone gets subjected to daily violence and worse things.

    We are naturally against violence and murder, but it is our opinion that shooting this man is not only self defence, it is the only reasonable thing to do.

  88. Re:Shadowcrew website has since undergone a makeov by AndroidCat · · Score: 1

    They really need to work on their 733t-speak if they want to be taken seriously by other defacement gangs.

    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  89. Re:Clicking on shadowcrew link = being investigate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Heck if you want to be suspected of Anti-American activities, why don't you just put a John Kerry poster up in your house. It'll make the whole govt. soil its pants.

  90. Probably OT by krunchyfrog · · Score: 1

    Call it OT but something kinda related to this happened here in Montreal: Some guy stole some other guy's ID and started making trouble and stuff.. But when he went to the bank for a loan approval or something alike the police was waiting for him.. or perhaps the original guy. It turned out that the victim already had debt and money and gambling problems including fraud. The police was expecting the real person to get to the bank and caught the ID stealer instead. Now try to get out of that kind of sh*hole.

    --
    printf($randomline(sigs.txt) \n "-- "$randomline(authors.txt));
    -- myself
  91. Re:Clicking on shadowcrew link = being investigate by krunchyfrog · · Score: 1
    Here's a fun trick: Go to your friend's house and ask if you can check your email quick from their computer and visit the site. Sit across the street and laugh as unmarked vans take your friend away.

    Or just go wardriving around with a laptop on WiFi. Imagine the whole police swat team surrounding half the city and arresting innocent people! heheh

    --
    printf($randomline(sigs.txt) \n "-- "$randomline(authors.txt));
    -- myself
  92. Re:Not very subtle! :) by Angafirith · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's probably cheaper for them to deter people from these actions than it is for them to arrest them.

    There's a house around here that was originally used by a group of drug dealers and prostitutes that was located in a bad neighborhood. The police raided it and turned it into a police substation.

    --
    "It is better to risk sparing a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one." - Voltaire
  93. Re:Clicking on shadowcrew link = being investigate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1)Clearly you did not RTFA and you did not do any homework...
    It wasn't a patent, it was a REGISTERED TRADEMARK.
    The rubiks cube image is the trademark so you may not sell it in packaging with a picture or drawing and you may not sell it in cello wrap where the cube itself is visible unless it is a genuine rubiks cube. Magic cube looks just like rubiks cube and is sold in a box with a cello window. The appearance item visible through the window is TRADEMARKED! Get it? The way the product LOOKS is the trademark. A cube with each side divided into 9 squares IS the trademark! The patent applies to how the product works. I can sell a knockoff without violating the trademark if I sell a plain black cube and a sheet of stick on skin for the faces. Would not be easy though as I may not (without permission) use the rubiks cube image on the box to illustrate what the final result of applying the stickers will look like. Very clever registering the products appearance as the trademark!

    Homeland security is an umbrella organization.

    2)No worries from USSS. These are the cops who can read and think. If it were the FBI, your concern would certainly be justified. You don't spoof your mac address? Certainly they can narrow down an IP but how the hell can they prove it was your computer that was using it?

  94. Hilarious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    I love the irony of one of their forum sections under "Vendors and Reviews":
    Scamming Bastards
    Tell everyone who ripped you off and maybe save the newbies a few dollars.
  95. even worse by virtualone · · Score: 0

    now they are taken appart by law enforcement agencys, but on top of that, their servers are being slashdotted

    --
    Only morons moderate based on a sig.
  96. There are other BIG concerns for economy! by JollyFinn · · Score: 1
    --
    Emacs is good operating system, but it has one flaw: Its text editor could be better.
  97. MirrorDOT link works still by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    for the lazy who wish to be amused, here's a proper link to the slashdotted, defaced, mainpage (MirrorDOT mirror):

    http://www.mirrordot.org/stories/837e41d1433a26838 15e933bda4b46bd/index.html

  98. Just downloaded music for free... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...and it was uploaded by US Secret Service. I think we should notify proper authorities.

  99. Fraudulent transactions by SamMichaels · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I was recently brought on to an e-commerce project...day 1 was stopping the fraudulent orders being sent to Malaysia or to the drop sites in the US. All it takes is a 30 second call to the card company to get the issuing bank's number...99% of the bad cards were verified as stolen from the bank. One card wasn't reported as stolen yet...yay for me.

    If Paypal, IIS, etc can figure out key encryption, why can't we?

    1) Credit card company creates keys and issues it to the customer...the card number is replaced by a number identifying the key.
    2) Payment request certificates are sent to the customer who either signs it or doesn't sign it.
    3) Transactions are encrypted using keys....you, your bank, the merchant and the card company can decrypt the info, no one else.

    Didn't I just describe SSL/GPG? Oh wait..I did.

    It boils down to this: if you can't handle the technology (aka keep spyware off your machine, keep it updated, and keep your card number safe), DON'T USE THE TECHNOLOGY. Write a check...but of course, that's digitized now thanks to Check 21...that old technology will be deprecated very soon in favor of direct debit.

    1. Re:Fraudulent transactions by Viceice · · Score: 1

      I don' think that will solve the problem. I would think that most of the numbers are skimmed in the real world and not stolen from cyberspace (though i may be wrong)

      Usually it's a cashier at a or a restaurant or bar or some establishment with a card reader thats made in China and thats it. That kind of activity is way easier then intercepting net traffic.

      --
      Sometimes I wish I was a plumber, then I'd know how to deal with other people's shit.
    2. Re:Fraudulent transactions by SamMichaels · · Score: 1

      I don' think that will solve the problem. I would think that most of the numbers are skimmed in the real world and not stolen from cyberspace (though i may be wrong)
      Usually it's a cashier at a or a restaurant or bar or some establishment with a card reader thats made in China and thats it. That kind of activity is way easier then intercepting net traffic.

      I'm sure a good number of stolen card databases come from phishing.

      If we used public key based encryption with a PK signed certificate kind of scheme, the skimmers would only get public keys....which is what we want people to have.

      I'm sure what I said is far too complicated for Joe Citizen, but I'm sure we'll eventually reach a point where people need to learn the technology or they don't have the luxury anymore.

    3. Re:Fraudulent transactions by rmcii · · Score: 1

      Actually, my impression of the American Express Blue cards are that when read, they provide a different random number based on your real CC #. This way each place of business never gets your real CC #, so if somebody steals the hashed number, AMEX can trace it to the place of business that originally saw that hash.

      Makes it difficult for companies that use CC #'s to verify information (like credit check companies), but all you can do is say, "Sorry, we can't verify any information using American Express cards because they're too secure."

      Then the question is, why don't the rest of the CC card companies follow suit?

    4. Re:Fraudulent transactions by firewrought · · Score: 1
      If you can't handle the technology, DON'T USE THE TECHNOLOGY

      Obviously an ureasonable attitude, except in certain narrow situations. Assigning blame does nothing to provide a solution, and dismissing everybody from the internet is neither reasonable nor desirable.

      --
      -1, Too Many Layers Of Abstraction
    5. Re:Fraudulent transactions by SamMichaels · · Score: 1

      Obviously an ureasonable attitude, except in certain narrow situations. Assigning blame does nothing to provide a solution, and dismissing everybody from the internet is neither reasonable nor desirable.

      Unreasonable? The solution is to educate people. Unfortunately, the solution doesn't work...look at XP SP2 and what they did to try and do it for the user since they won't educate themselves. Time has proven again and again that the masses just don't care about stuff.

      Are those kind of people better off using money order or checks online? Yes.

    6. Re:Fraudulent transactions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      If Paypal, IIS, etc can figure out key encryption, why can't we?

      1) Credit card company creates keys and issues it to the customer...the card number is replaced by a number identifying the key.
      2) Payment request certificates are sent to the customer who either signs it or doesn't sign it.
      3) Transactions are encrypted using keys....you, your bank, the merchant and the card company can decrypt the info, no one else.

      4) Joe Sixpack receives an e-mail from someone that looks like his credit card company, asking him to send a copy of his private key for "verification purposes".
      5) Joe Sixpack doesn't know what a private key is or how that stuff works, and he thinks, "I don't want my credit card to stop working -- I've got a date this weekend!" So, he follows the helpful instructions in the e-mail and sends his private key in like he was told.
      6) Since everyone assumes the system is secure (after all, it uses cryptography, and all things that use cryptography are secure) Joe Sixpack has a helluva time getting things straightened out.

      Moral: in solving this problem, it's very important to consider whether members of the general public can be expected to understand what a private key is, that it's important to protect it, and how to protect it.

  100. Re:HOLY SHIT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Vote KERRY for a more united & socialist America!

  101. Re:Clicking on shadowcrew link = being investigate by base3 · · Score: 1

    You're sort of missing the point--what does trademark enforcement have to do with Homeland Security. It sort of just proves that the whole creation of the agency was just a big law enforcement funding and power grab.

    --
    One CPU cycle wasted on digital restrictions management is ONE TOO MANY.
  102. simulteneous to the stry I receive in my email: by AvitarX · · Score: 1

    Hi again,

    Here is Donn Jimenez. I write to you because we are accepting your
    mortgag=
    e application.
    Our office confirms you can get a $220.000 lo=C0n for a $252.00 per month
    =
    payment.
    Approval process will take 1 minute, so please fill out the form on our
    we=
    bsite:

    http://atrium-carrageen.refitalk.com

    Thank you.

    Best Regards Donn Jimenez
    First Account Manager

    --
    Wow, sent an e-mail as suggested when clicking on "use classic" banner, and got a fast response that addressed my msg
  103. Re:Not very subtle! :) by archeopterix · · Score: 1
    2) Put up the cool USSS site: 3972 members scared for their lives so that they stop their illegal activities and turn themselves in to USSS. (Not to mention have a mental breakdown next time they see Mission Impossible!)
    In your dreams. Criminals aren't that easy to scare, otherwise a couple of billboards with "turn yourself in" would do the job of the law enforcement.

    Besides, this site is so cocky, especially the "proxies, VPNs, whatnot - you are no longer anonymous!" that it makes me, a law abiding citizen, want to do something illegal just for the heck of it.

  104. Re:Not very subtle! :) by AndroidCat · · Score: 1

    I think the cellmate who's in the cell is pretty scary already.

    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  105. Internal Revenue Service involvement? by BenEnglishAtHome · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Shadowcrew. I knew I recognized that name.

    These guys did some weird stuff. For example, they spammed our internal email addresses at the IRS with offers to host child porn sites. For example, here's one of the emails they sent to an IRS employee, namely me.

    From: ipadmin@eng.xo.com

    [mailto:ipadmin@eng.xo.com]

    Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 4:48 AM

    To: b*******.b.o****@irs.gov

    Subject: Need to host child porn, illegal content, Spam advert site

    Need to host child porn, illegal content, Spam advert site? Try www.hopone.net you will be able to host anything you desire.

    You can get fresh stolen dumps here:

    http://www.shadowcrew.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t =636

    Credit cards with cvv2 information are available here:

    http://www.shadowcrew.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t =409

    Our site will be usefull for the those who want to wash their money also :) (If you don't want to pay taxes or you need to buy something illegal like weapons or drugs).

    Fresh paypal accounts here:

    http://www.shadowcrew.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t =553

    Only using our site you can get every detail of any US citizen including SSN number:

    http://www.shadowcrew.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t =701

    Fresh eBay accounts for a low price available as well:

    http://www.shadowcrew.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t =290

    You can order by phone: : +1-703-547-2000.

    Best regards, www.shadowcrew.com

    But here's where I run out of expertise in how these things work. What on earth were they hoping to accomplish by sending out these spams? Are people actually dumb enough to dial up a phone number sent to them in spam and say "I'd like to host a child porn site. Please set it up for me. Here's my credit card info."?

    Or is that phone number one of those things that charges you outrageous sums just for calling it? I wouldn't know; I certainly didn't ring 'em up out of curiosity.

    These shadowcrew folks just strike me as weird. I wish I understood their "business model." OTOH, I'm just glad I won't be getting any more emails from them that I have to forward to our investigators.

    1. Re:Internal Revenue Service involvement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This was a "Joe-Job" that they got hosed with a few months ago. The Joe-Job also contained references to terrorist activities. Check it out at snopes. This email is BS.

    2. Re:Internal Revenue Service involvement? by BenEnglishAtHome · · Score: 1

      Joe job? OK. That's reasonable. The email was so over the top that your explanation strikes me as a good one.

      Interesting, nonetheless, to see what sort of drivel people will send out in your name if they don't like you.

      Thanks for the heads up.

  106. It's a good thing... by daveschroeder · · Score: 1

    ...that this story called the agency the "Secret Service", instead of the "Department of Homeland Security" like the last article did (since the Secret Service, and myriad other law enforcement and protective agencies are now a part of DHS), otherwise we might have even more than the normal level of utterly useless paranoid police state drivel.

    But hey, the Rubik's Cube case was a hell of a lot more scary when you invoke the name of the evil, Nazi-like "DHS" and sensationalize it like that!

  107. A nice contrast by Presence1 · · Score: 1

    It is nice to see the Govt doing their jobs well, in contrast to today's other story about the DHS going after some little store owner over a Rubik's Cube knockoff.

    Identity theft is a HUGE problem, they have an uphill batle to fight it. This is the government doing what it should, helping citizens live their lives without interference. We need more of this.

    1. Re:A nice contrast by Creepy+Crawler · · Score: 1

      This is one of the 2 crimes that I support NATIONAL "cops" to investigate: counterfeiting and treason. If they're making passports and stuff, get'em.

      Personally, the fraud charges should be state-generated.. but this is the fuckedupness with this government.

      --
  108. Re:Clicking on shadowcrew link = being investigate by jimicus · · Score: 1

    Here's a fun trick: Go to your friend's house and ask if you can check your email quick from their computer and visit the site. Sit across the street and laugh as unmarked vans take your friend away.

    Great friend you are. </sarcasm>

  109. Re:Not very subtle! :) by Mysticalfruit · · Score: 3, Funny

    that probably depends on which "port" Bubba uses for input/output and at what baud rate...

    --
    Yes Francis, the world has gone crazy.
  110. MirrorDOT is working well. by Spokehedz · · Score: 1
    www.mirrordot.org will get you to the main page, but bookmark this link, when clicked upon thusly when a page is lost, will get the link faster.
    javascript: document.location = 'http://www.mirrordot.com/find-mirror.html?' + document.URL;
    Just make a bookmark called "MirrorDOT" and put that code into the boormark as the URL, and it will find the page (if it has the page) in its database, and then display it on the screen.
  111. Re:This is pretty big!--The Feds missed one! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I just sent a complaint email to the abuse team responsible for Net access at a particular USA educational institution that is now hosting, at time of writing, a fake eBay 'phish' site. Presumably, it's just a compromised system cracked by outsiders--if not, then somebody there at said institution has got some 'splaning to do!

    The Feds may pay lip service to the spam email problem with Band-Aid approaches like the CAN-SPAM Act, but fvck with the USA money supply (via ID theft in this case) and they will take notice!

  112. the fools! by Cyn · · Score: 1

    stole over 1.7 million credit card numbers as well as a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria

    Who allows their Bulgarian passport-forging facility to be stolen? Honestly. One day do you just show up for a nice day of illegal work and poof, building gone! The Bulgarians got whats coming if you ask me.

    --
    cyn, free software and *nix operating systems enthusiast.
  113. whew by Hubert_Shrump · · Score: 1

    and here i thought they were slashdotted.

    (goes to answer knock at door)

    --
    Keep your packets off my GNU/Girlfriend!
  114. yeah! Shadow=stupid, Mr. Barkto. by twitter · · Score: 1
    Morons. If you want to conspire, wouldn't it be smart to do it somewhere with a wee bit less conspicuous name than shadow crew?

    Yeah, some people are so stupid they name themselves after shadows.

    Enforcement is nice, but cleaning up this one group of morons does little to solve the root cause, buggy M$ junk. The costs and skills to do the job are so low that we can be sure that no real difference will be made.

    --

    Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.

  115. Slashdotted... by Cyno01 · · Score: 1

    Does the site just say "PWN3D" above an SS logo?

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  116. Re:Not very subtle! :) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, it would take them a long time to haul that all that H back home to repacka... I mean, to haul it back to Evidence.

  117. Massive??? by Andr0s · · Score: 1

    Well, it is certainly good news - nice to know something's being done. But Massive ? That's not the word I would use. 28 people are a drop in the sea of criminals. Now, if all of those 28 spilled some names before their comrades caught the wind of arrests, there might be some collateral damage where due, but... I don't think so. Bottom line is, good thing. But scale impression is wrong. Like arresting 2 dozen street drug dealers in Bronx and calling it massive. 28 people should be weekly catch for this sort of crime.

    --
    '...computers in the future may have only 1000 vacuum tubes and perhaps weigh 1.5 tons...' Popular Mechanics, 03/49'
  118. wait a minute by fgb · · Score: 1

    They also stole a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria?

    What is this world coming to when we can't even keep our passport-forging facilities safe?

  119. Re:Not very subtle! :) MUSIC PIRACY! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I doubt the USSS got permission to use that song. I hope the MPAA goes after them!

  120. Do the US Secret Service have copyright permission by evilandi · · Score: 1
    Balster_neb: http://www.mirrordot.com/stories/837e41d1433a26838 15e933bda4b46bd/index.html.
    ...It's the theme from Mission: Impossible.

    Does the United States Secret Service have copyright permission to use the theme from Mission: Impossible?

    --
    Andrew Oakley - www.aoakley.com
  121. Best way by phorm · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Wouldn't the best way then to base the resulting hash off a combination of your CC# and the place of business (whatever name they register the charge with your CC company as).

    That way, when 5555-5555-5555-5555 221 is mixed with "Denny's Seattle," and "2004-10-26-23-22-11" (time/date). the latter half of a verification code comes up with ID "EDJLLKJEWO-2."

    The first part could be a MD5-style hash (semi-random), so that one can't generate your own hash by knowing the encoding method. The latter part, however, could be reversed back using your CC # to get "Denny's Seattle 2004-10-27 11:22:11pm" and bust the dude working front desk at Denny's during that time.

    *Denny's is used purely as example, I've never known anyone to have their CC# hijacked from there.

    1. Re:Best way by base3 · · Score: 1

      It's called SET, and has been around in one form or another for over a decade. But the credit card companies obviously decided it was cheaper to deal with the fraud than to implement it.

      --
      One CPU cycle wasted on digital restrictions management is ONE TOO MANY.
  122. an online solution ... by Heisenbug · · Score: 1

    I've been the victim of online credit card theft, and I design ecommerce systems for a living, so I'll speak to that small part of the problem. The solution is mindblowingly simple: never identify yourself to anyone but your credit card company.

    I care about this, because it's my ass on the line if my software has any holes in it. Metaphorically, here's how the system works currently: you're buying something from me, so you give me all of your bank information, I write it down someplace and keep it for ever, and then I go later and withdraw the money from your bank. If my files are ever broken into, whoever took them can also go and withdraw money from your bank -- and conversely, if I give you something valuable in exchange for your bank information, and then your account turns out to be empty, I'm SOL.

    We do this because it matches the way credit card transactions are done in the real world. The internet gives us a few luxuries, however. Here's how the system should work: you're buying something from me, so I instantly teleport you to your actual bank. You tell them exactly how much money to give me, as soon as I call and confirm the transaction is complete -- the bank verifies that they know you, and you verify that it's your bank, and I don't give a crap how that happens. You then teleport back to my store with a slip of paper with a number on it. I call up your bank and verify that that number means that you transferred the proper amount of money to me.

    All of this can be integrated seamlessly into existing online checkouts without changing the experience much, and it reduces the millions of potential points of failure in ecommerce across the internet to about 5 -- one for each credit card company.

    Until this system is implemented, I'm saying the problem of online credit card fraud can be blamed entirely on inertia -- the technical solution is there.

    1. Re:an online solution ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      in portugal we have a nice solution to that... i wonder why it hasnt gone overseas. our banks provide us with a service, which give us a fake CC number, valid for only one transaction, and for a predefined amount of money. So, we have to interact with the bank (i ussualy use the net banking option, but you can request one in the atm) to get a CC number. The CC number is valid for only 1 use and for a predefined ammount. I then give that CC to any service needing pay, which then they validate, deduct the money from me, and all goes well. if someone trys to use it later, it wont work, so i give away CC numbers without any problem. (i used to have one, but dont even have a real CC now)

  123. damn!! by krosk · · Score: 1
    Dubbed Operation Firewall, the Secret Service identified a group of people who stole over 1.7 million credit card numbers as well as a passport-forging facility in Bulgaria.

    I'm not sure how you steal a FACILITY in Bulgaria, but these crooks are bloody amazing if they pulled it off!! Cheers to them!

    Now off to steal that new Parliament building in Scotland....

  124. Re:This is pretty big!--The Feds missed one! by mwood · · Score: 1

    Um, you do know that protecting the currency and the monetary system is exactly what the Secret Service is *for*? They don't have any mandate or authority w.r.t. phishing, so far as I know.

  125. Re:Not very subtle! :) by mwood · · Score: 1

    But what about: leave site look alone, install traps everywhere, 3972 members soon well and truly fingered.

  126. Re:Clicking on shadowcrew link = being investigate by Senzei · · Score: 1
    Tomorrows headline:

    International Credit Card Fraud ring leads to bigger fish:

    Authorities today arrested thousands of credit card fraudsters. These individuals were tracked down by tracing connections to a site currently under investigation. Visits to www.shadowcrew.com where traced to another site slashdot.org.

    Slashdot.org, although supposedly a geek news site, has in fact been found to link heavily to credit card fraud and software piracy. Member lists have already been obtained, and many of the more prominent figures in this conspiracy ring have already been sent off for sodomiz^H^H^H^H^H^H^H detainment.

    In a joint press release today Secret Service Officials and Microsoft Representatives noted that the site, in addition to its fraudulent and illegal activities is a strong advocate of the linux operating system. Microsoft Officials did not hesitate to point out the vague link that does not really exist between linux and software piracy.

    I guess I could go on, but i've already started to get into absurd anti-microsoft fanboyism. I had to do it though, what good would a joke about the takedown of slashdot be without microsoft trying to get a shot in?

    --
    Slashdot: Where anecdotes and generalizations can be freely substituted for facts, logic, or intelligence
  127. CopyWrongs by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

    I want Ashcroft getting these people on every transaction in which personal data was abused, in violation of the copyright - including those transactions from people who got their copiedwrong data. At least, for the next few months before he's on the dole again.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

  128. Re:Not very subtle! :) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What's criminal about seizing the property of a criminal? In this case, it would be the domain name registration that was seized, then redirected to a site hosted by the Secret Service. Get a brain dumbfuck.

  129. The real reason they were busted by BigBuckHunter · · Score: 1

    Was for selling the "Magic Cube" Rubix knoclkoffs!!

  130. Re:Not very subtle! :) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hmm. If you don't understand the problems with asset forfeiture, you might want to use your big brain to get thee to a library.

  131. talk is cheap by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

    Does this mean they can't use "Operation Firewall" again, for something more related to Internet security? If the government can't name it, it doesn't exist - we're doomed!

    --

    --
    make install -not war

  132. Secret Service copyright infringement? by MacDork · · Score: 1
    And as for the background sound, the site uses the nonstandard bgsound tag, which will work in IE. It's the theme from Mission: Impossible.

    I loaded the site, but got no tunes. Perhaps they removed the music when they realized the RIAA would seek damages of $150,000 per page view.

  133. Big Brother by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Got to love the Secret Service page. It screams big brother all over the place. We can thank the Patriot Act for allowing them to work without warrants. I mean after all gotta keep the country safe from those pesky foreign terrorists.

    1. Re:Big Brother by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0



      Actually I used to frequent shadowcrew and their were quite a few arrests prior to this. One of the more well known forgers was arrested quite a bit ago because he was directly responsible for creating some of the 9/11 terrorists fake IDs.

      It should also be noted that Russians play a fairly strong hand in this type of crime and were affluent visitors/providers of services to the SC community. While they may not be 'terrorists' I certainly don't see the SS not using warrants as being a major cause for concern. If somethign or someone is threatening the finicial backbone of our insitutions/economy the SS will most likely use any and all means necessary to stop it.

      As for the defacing I also believe it to be the doing of the site owners. I highly doubt anyone involved in the core ring of people were arrested.

      Also the core members of SC are somewhat affiliated with another group 'gH' that did a lot of website defacing/packeting (tho some of those guys really knew their stuff they weren't just 'script kiddies' and the like back in the late 90s. Their were people ie: mafiaboy, mindphasr, mosthated etc. that were arrested are close friends of some of the core SC people.

  134. Re:Not very subtle! :) by mdfst13 · · Score: 1

    "Criminals aren't that easy to scare"

    I suspect that most of the people on that site don't really think of themselves as criminals. They are just testing the boundaries and assumed they would never get caught. Now they know they can. In particular, they now know that the people who have been feeding them info *did* get caught, so the readers won't feel as comfortable about using the site's advice (which clearly didn't work for them).

  135. Re:Not very subtle! :) by Thangodin · · Score: 1

    Yeah, this is hoot! Well done!

    Nice to see law enforcement doing it's job. And it couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch. :)

    Can you imagine the member's reactions to this when they first hit it? Oh... fuck... me...

  136. Forums are still there by x404x · · Score: 1

    Google still has a cache of the orignal front page, so when you click "skip intro" you get in to the forum via IP, not DNS http://63.240.81.5/phpBB2/

  137. These must be the bastards... by Pete+Brubaker · · Score: 1

    ...that stole my credit card info and my paypal account. My checking account was cleared out, and my credit card was maxed out. I was hosed. Luckily PayPal refunded me the money. It may not be FDIC insured but they got me my cash back within the span of 2 days.

    I hope you guys become Bubba's bitch! Dont drop the soap!

    --
    What's a sig? Pete Brubaker
  138. Congratulations by timjdot · · Score: 1

    Congrat.s to the Secret Service. Thank you.

    --
    Expect Freedom.
  139. Re:Not very subtle! :) by temojen · · Score: 1
    Proxies, VPNs, IP Spoofing, Encryption, etc....

    Do little good if they got someone in the gang to turn and/or infiltrated them. It's more likely old-fashioned police work than cracking IPSec, Skype, TLS, etc.

  140. Re:HOLY SHIT by DarrenR114 · · Score: 1

    I'd much more prefer to vote BUSH for a more united national socialist - oh wait, that's what the Nazis called themselves. Fits even better then - Ashcroft, Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush - Hitler never looked better than when compared to this lot.

    --
    Been there, Done that, Sold the t-shirt to the next idiot in line
  141. Shadowcrew by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0



    I really hope soupnazi & eckis (shadowcrew) got it.

    God I hated those punks.

  142. The forum is STILL THERE.... by x404x · · Score: 1

    Or you could just go to the ACTUAL forum...

    http://www.shadowcrew.com/phpBB2/

  143. Re:Not very subtle! :) by ars · · Score: 1

    Anyone else think it's strange that the BB is still up? Quick someone cache it before it's gone forever :)

    --
    -Ariel
  144. Not very valid, either by shannara256 · · Score: 1

    Tsk tsk, I'm disappointed... these guys are supposed to be all that, you'd think they would be able to hire a someone to design a valid webpage:

    http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http://www.shado wcrew.com/
  145. Re:This is pretty big!--The Feds missed one! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Um, you do know that protecting the currency and the monetary system is exactly what the Secret Service is *for*? They don't have any mandate or authority w.r.t. phishing, so far as I know.


    I know their job is to protect the USA President and the USA financial system. Surely that carding ring they broke up recently didn't get all those 1.7 million credit card numbers solely by 'dumpster diving' and other 'meatspace' exploits.

    I know the Secret Service are deadly serious about protecting the USA President and the American monetary system--just look at how popular In The Line Of Fire and To Live And Die In L.A. still are in the years after there respective releases. They also happen to be two favorite films of mine. Both films vividly convey how deadly and hair-raising being a United States Secret Service Agent can be!
  146. What are you doing here? by Medievalist · · Score: 1

    What's a guy who knows how to use "bated" properly doing on slashdot?

    Usually when someone attempts that idiom he ends up sounding like he's been eating cat food.

    Well, that huge run-on sentence reassures me a little, I guess... wouldn't want this place to get all literate-like.

  147. Re:Not very subtle! :) by kaytea2k · · Score: 1

    The feds couldn't have put that site up it is way too ironic!

  148. mod parent up. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    because he's most certainly right.

    If someone in the govt were to actually pull a stunt like that, they would most likely get fired quick (or the govt equivalent of "fired", whatever that is.)

    Just one point to nitpick on:
    > I traced the Joe Job back to a Finnish DSL net

    If it's the same entity that hacked this site and sent joe job spams, it's likely it was sent through botnets.
    I've received a couple of those emails, and while they have the exact same content, they come from 2 apparently unrelated and geographically distant IPs.

  149. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  150. Re:Easy to break by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Strong encryption is easy to break. One of the most effective methods is known as the purchase-key attack. Basically, the attacker offers something of value (money, a plea agreement, etc) to someone who has the decryption key in exchange for handing over the key. It is far superior to the rubber hose attack (beating the key out of someone) as the purchase-key attack does not leave any evidence if done properly.

  151. Re:Not very subtle! :) by Reziac · · Score: 1

    The music is from the original "Mission: Impossible" TV show (in fact, it sounds like an analog recording using TV and mic, the way we used to do it in the olden days) and if you remember the series, one of its regular schticks was that at the end, when there was no escape, the MI team would in some highly ironic way inform the target that he'd been pwn3d.

    Which makes this just bloody perfect, music and all!

    --
    ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
  152. Because of people like this by Mal-2 · · Score: 1

    The Lorne Chronicles.

    This guy's idea of parallel parking is to fishtail a car into a spot sideways. You want him to be in the same risk class as you? Thought not.

    Mal-2

    --
    How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
  153. Re:This is pretty big!--The Feds missed one! by ScrewMaster · · Score: 1

    Of course ... sometimes they make mistakes. Just ask Steve Jackson.

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  154. Re:Not very subtle! :) by ScrewMaster · · Score: 1

    Ah ... I think you meant "bawd-rate".

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.