Security News > 2024 > January > Accused PII seller faces jail for running underground fraud op

A Baltimore man faces a potential maximum 20-year prison sentence after being charged for his alleged role in running an online service that sold personal data which was later used for financial fraud.

The filing claims customers would approach Charleron with a name and home address, plus a payment in the region of $25 sent either via cryptocurrency or other digital means, and in return they would receive the PII necessary to take out credit cards in a victim's name.

It's unclear if the accused and his alleged co-conspirators used TLOxp itself, or had their own system of aggregating the data their clients sought, or both, but the collection of customers - 799 of them at the operation's peak - were all contacted via a group chat through what court documents describe as an unspecified encrypted messaging app.

The complaint claims a picture of the letter was sent to Charleron, and claims he then supplied the PII required to activate it.

A second customer's case presented to the court alleges that Charleron was able to supply data to tight deadlines.

In the case, the customer asked for the PII, stating that the banks close in 28 minutes and Charleron supplied the required PII in 21 minutes, the complaint claims.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/01/23/serial_data_peddler_faces_prison/