A group of Romanians are currently investigated for hacking into money transfer systems in Western Europe and allegedly stealing USD 800,000. They are also suspected of skimming and drug trafficking. More than 100 persons will be called in for questioning by prosecutors in this case.

Romanian prosecutors of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), who are investigating this case, made more than 100 home searches, on July 16, in Craiova, Pitesti and Bucharest to get more evidence on the illegal activities of the group. Searches were also conducted in Paris, where the group conducted some of its operations.

According to DIICOT, there is reasonable suspicion that the members of the group illegally installed malware in the IT systems used by money wire firms in Western European countries such as Britain, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Norway. The malware allowed them to control the systems from the distance. They would then introduce fake data in the system that would suggest money transfers from a fictional sender to a real beneficiary in Romania, who would get the money through a local payment agent.

Western Union and MoneyGram both have networks in Romania, but prosecutors have not announced the names of the money wire companies which suffered damages in this case.

This generated losses for the firms which had their systems infected. So far, the damage that was determined is USD 800,000, just for one firm. So the total damages might amount to millions.

Some of the members of the group are also suspected for skimming activities, forging electronic payment documents and fraudulently cashing in the money by using those documents. The money thus obtained were invested in mobile and immobile goods, placed into bank deposits or transferred through money transfer firms in order to hide their origin.

One member of the group is also suspected for preparing and distributing synthetic drugs.

editor@romania-insider.com