The Romanian Policed arrested 20 people earlier today (December 11 ) and searched their homes in connection with an international internet fraud case. The twenty suspects are from Bucharest and seven other counties across the country. Prosecutors from Romania's organized crime unit DIICOT and the Gorj Territorial Office, along with police officers from Gorj, are investigating the defrauding of some 100 US citizens via phony online auctions, with damages estimated at USD 4 million.

According to the prosecutors, the group members from the counties Gorj, Olt, Ilfov, Vâlcea, Bacău, Timiş and Caraş-Severin, have misled 100 Americans by creating fictitious ads by changing the name, email address and other information about the seller or the property offered for sale. The buyers were ticked into making transfers into the fraudsters accounts for the non-existent goods.

Investigators also said that to receive the money paid by the injured parties, the group's leader allegedly obtained fake diplomas in medicine and theology and used them to gain US visa access for group members.

The group offered cars and electronic goods for sale, among other items. Group members told their victims that the money sent would act as a guarantee on the goods.

The group members are being investigated for setting up an organized criminal group, accessing a computer system without permission, in violation of security measures, causing a loss of property to a person by the introduction and modification of computer data, making fraudulent financial transactions, fraud, forgery of identity and money laundering.

DIICOT prosecutors cooperated in the investigation of the case with FBI and Secret Service officers from the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest. Technical support and information was provided by the Romanian intelligence services (SRI).

Ioana Toader, ioana.toader@romania-insider.com