Information Security News: Police: 9 Mil. Stolen Files Traded by Loan Ring

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200807/200807280013.html

Digital Chosun Ilbo
July 28, 2008 

Some 9 million files of Korean credit information stolen by a Chinese 
hacker ended up back in Korea and were illegally sold and distributed to 
Korean loan firms, police say.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Cyber Crime Investigation 
Division on Sunday said it had requested an arrest warrant for a 
42-year-old loan go-between, identified by his surname Chun, who has 
fled to China. Chun is charged with W2.7 billion in illegal gains 
(US$1=W1,010) earned through buying information stolen by a Chinese 
hacker from some 2,000 Korean bank, loan firm, Internet shopping mall 
and university computer networks, and then using the data to mediate 
deals for Korean loan sharks.

In addition to Chun, police arrested without detention six others 
including "Shin" (42), who ran a loan mediating company using illegally 
obtained credit information. A warrant was also requested for "Im" (29), 
who has also fled.

Police say the suspects bought 9 million files of stolen data from a 
Chinese-based hacker for W15 million in May 2006. The data include 
personal resident registration numbers, phone numbers and credit info. 
Using the data, the suspects allegedly called people who had previously 
borrowed loans or were thought to be in need of money and introduced 
them to loan sharks in the non-institutional financial market.

[...]


_______________________________________________      
Attend Black Hat USA, August 2-7 in Las Vegas, 
the world's premier technical event for ICT security experts.
Featuring 40 hands-on training courses and 80 Briefings 
presentations with lots of new content and new tools.
Network with 4,000 delegates from 50 nations.  
Visit product displays by 30 top sponsors in 
a relaxed setting. http://www.blackhat.com