Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

US, NY Bust 92 Mules In 'ZeuS Trojan' Crime Ring

Posted by kdawson on from the beasts-of-burden dept.

Following on the 19 ZeuS botnet arrests in the UK, adeelarshad82 and other readers sent word that US and New York officials have unsealed more than 90 indictments of money mules and others accused of helping siphon more than $3M from 5 banks and dozens of individuals, and sending it overseas. The Manhattan US Attorney announced charges against 37 individuals and New York charged 55. Most of those indicted are foreign students who came to the US on exchange visitor visas. Most are from Russia, the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, or Belarus. Here is the FBI's lengthy press release. A security blogger has put up Facebook party photos of some of the indicted individuals who are still at large.

3 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. Money Mule Groups by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    After posting my email address publicly on careerbuilder.com, I started getting lots of emails advertising money mule positions. Here's one of their websites, in case you wanted to know what these groups are like.

  2. Bad for exchange students by biryokumaru · · Score: 5, Insightful

    People like this are going to make it increasingly difficult for legitimate students to come over here.

    --
    When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
  3. Crime doens't pay well by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 5, Informative

    Despite the popular opinion, when you actually research it you find crime doesn't pay much better than honest work. If you are doing simple scut work, you get paid low wages, legal or illegal. Sure there are crime lords that make a lot, the heads of the drug cartels are filthy rich... But then that would be just like the people who created legal business empires. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Jeff Bezos, etc all amazingly rich, richer than the drug lords, and did the same basic thing: Created a successful empire selling what people want.

    All in all, crime doesn't pay all that well, especially compared to the risks. It only pays well if you are higher up, just like in the legit world. You may hear about some mid level drug dealer that makes $200k and say "Wow, crime paid well," until you realize a mid level executive can make the same.

    Capitalism doesn't seem to suspend the rules for illegal enterprise.