Nigerian cyber gang targeting victims in US busted in Ajman

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Nigerian cyber gang targeting victims in US busted in Ajman
MoI had received information from the security authorities in the US state of California in regards to cyber-criminal activity based in the UAE.

Ajman - The gang members had targeted their victims, both individuals and institutions, in the US, by hacking their accounts and emails to steal private documents and information to commit fraud.

By Wam

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Published: Sun 12 Jul 2015, 7:53 PM

Last updated: Mon 13 Jul 2015, 2:05 PM

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has put an end to the trans-border crimes of a Nigerian gang of three people operating in an apartment in Ajman, targeting victims in the US.
The gang members had targeted their victims, both individuals and institutions, in the US, by hacking their accounts and emails to steal private documents and information to commit fraud.
The MoI said in a statement that the successful operation is a result of the fruitful cooperation and coordination of the Ministry with various police agencies from advanced countries. "Such a step has been made in a bid to entrench the efforts of peace and global security, and to protect the rights of citizens around the world. It works to enforce the law outside of the local context to serve the international community on one hand, and on the other, to effectively instill confidence and trust in the reputation and competency of the UAE and its various agencies."
It added that it had received information from the security authorities in the US state of California in regards to cyber-criminal activity based in the UAE. The information did not include the identities of the hackers, nor the place of residence; hence a professional team was established in order to follow-up on the cyber data available, and to identify the hideout of the gang as soon as possible so as to prevent them from escaping. The professional team included members from the Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ajman police forces.
The statement also indicated that the joint security cooperation the UAE police leadership led to identifying the location of the gang in record time. It was subsequently raided after completing the necessary legal procedures. The raid resulted in the arrest of B.A, age 24, the mastermind of the gang; G.A, age 26, a partner in the gang; and A.A., age 26, who entered the UAE on a tourist visa.
It added that the police teams monitored the movements of the suspects until they were all confirmed to be in the location. They were apprehended red handed along with the tools of the crime including electronic devices; financial remittance documents; hacking software; bank accounts; and a list of more than 5 million electronic bank accounts targeted by the gang.
Article (4) of the Federal Decree-Law No. (5) of 2012 of the UAE's law in combating cybercrimes states: punishes whoever accesses a website, electronic information system, computer network, or information technology without authorisation, whether such access is intended to obtain government data, or confidential information relating to a financial, commercial or economical facility.


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