3 arrested ‘£1m dark web fraud gang’ raids
POLICE investigating a gang suspected of buying people’s personal data from the ‘dark web’ and using it to commit fraud worth more than £1million have made three arrests.
A specialist cyber-crime unit said more than 300 fraudulent purchases were made by the organised crime group.
Stolen bank card details – obtained from the dark web – were used to place ‘large and high value orders’ over the phone with companies, police said.
Goods were then collected via innocent couriers and taken to drop-off locations in Rochdale, the police team said.
The offences took place between 2014 and 2018 and purchases involved car tyres, copper piping, paint and even industrial ‘ride-on’ lawn mowers.
Dawn raids in Rochdale on Wednesday resulted in three arrests.
The coordinated strikes on four addresses saw three men aged 25, 35 and 36 arrested on suspicion of committing fraud by false representation and of an offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Police said all three remained in custody.
The addresses targeted were on Kensington Street, Lloyd Street, Clifford Street and Baron Street. The operation was led by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, together with Greater Manchester Police, the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit and the National Crime Agency.
More than 30 officers were involved in the raids – said to be the result of months of investigative work.
Detective Inspector Rob Bryant urged companies to assess data policies.
He said: “This organised crime group had purchased people’s data off the dark web and were using it to commit large scale fraud.
“They would use the details they had obtained illegally to purchase large orders of goods such as car tyres, copper piping, paint and ride-on mowers and have them delivered to discreet locations by innocent couriers, where they would go and collect them from.
“We often see companies which have their data stolen end up on the dark web and opportunist criminals look to benefit. I would like to take this opportunity to remind all businesses around their obligations to customers in protecting their data from cyber-criminals.
“In this case, thanks to the multi-agency approach and help from our partners, we have managed to stop an organised crime which in 2018 had committed nearly 300 fraud offences at a cost of over a million pounds.”
Phil Larratt, from the National Crime Agency, said the investigation was launched following a data breach.
“A South East Regional Organised Crime Unit-led investigation identified an organised crime group responsible for using stolen payment card data to purchase over a million pounds worth of goods.
“The NCA will continue to work closely with our police colleagues to relentlessly pursue those responsible for both cyber-dependent criminality and the subsequent incidents of fraud linked to the original data theft.
“The action demonstrates that cyber-criminality has no boundaries and UK law enforcement will continue to work together to disrupt this type of criminality.”
Insp Darren Callaghan, from Greater Manchester Police, said a number of small and medium-sized businesses were placed in ‘severe financial difficulty’ as a result.
“Should members of the local community have information or concerns regarding fraud related offences or information to pass this can be done through contacting Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040.”
The South East Regional Organised Crime Unit said offences took place between 2014 and 2018.
The dark web is part of the internet that isn’t visible to search engines and requires a special browser.