STUNNING student Kristina Svechinskaya has been dubbed the world’s sexiest computer hacker after being linked to a £22million cyber-scam.
The Russian brunette, 22, is accused of using fake passports to open a string of accounts which were flooded with cash plundered from online bank customers.
The blue-eyed beauty wept as she was brought before a New York court over the online racket, believed to have syphoned £6million from UK victims.
Police believe she was recruited as a money launderer by a high-tech gang using a “Zeus Trojan” virus to hack into bank accounts to steal account numbers, user names and password details.
Svechinskaya was among four New York students accused of assisting the racket after investigators held 37 Eastern European suspects said to have been involved.
Bank accounts from the US, UK and across the globe were raided.
Stolen money was transferred into hundreds of fake bank accounts set up in the US by alleged “money mules” like Svechinskaya, said to have taken a ten per cent cut of the profits.
She allegedly opened at least five accounts under her own name and the aliases, Anastasia Opokina and Svetlana Makarova, into which more than £22,000 was fraudulently deposited, and of which £7,000 was withdrawn.
She is the latest Eastern European beauty to be linked with high-level conspiracies following the arrest of flame-haired Anna Chapman, 28, who was unmasked as a Russian agent by the US authorities in July.
Later that month gorgeous Latvian Anne Fermanova, 24, was held after she was caught sneaking high-tech night vision sights – on a banned secret weapons list – into Russia.
Svechinskaya faces up to 40 years behind bars for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and false use of a passport and is due to reappear in court tomorrow.
Manhattan lawyer Preet Bharara said: “The digital age brings with it many benefits, but also many challenges for law enforcement and our financial institutuions.
“As these arrests show, the modern, high-tech bank heist does not require a gun, a mask, a note, or a getaway car.
“It requires only the internet and ingenuity and can be accomplished in the blink of an eye, with just a click of the mouse.”
Svechinskaya has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of false use of passports.
The Russian brunette, 22, is accused of using fake passports to open a string of accounts which were flooded with cash plundered from online bank customers.
The blue-eyed beauty wept as she was brought before a New York court over the online racket, believed to have syphoned £6million from UK victims.
Police believe she was recruited as a money launderer by a high-tech gang using a “Zeus Trojan” virus to hack into bank accounts to steal account numbers, user names and password details.
Svechinskaya was among four New York students accused of assisting the racket after investigators held 37 Eastern European suspects said to have been involved.
Bank accounts from the US, UK and across the globe were raided.
Stolen money was transferred into hundreds of fake bank accounts set up in the US by alleged “money mules” like Svechinskaya, said to have taken a ten per cent cut of the profits.
She allegedly opened at least five accounts under her own name and the aliases, Anastasia Opokina and Svetlana Makarova, into which more than £22,000 was fraudulently deposited, and of which £7,000 was withdrawn.
She is the latest Eastern European beauty to be linked with high-level conspiracies following the arrest of flame-haired Anna Chapman, 28, who was unmasked as a Russian agent by the US authorities in July.
Later that month gorgeous Latvian Anne Fermanova, 24, was held after she was caught sneaking high-tech night vision sights – on a banned secret weapons list – into Russia.
Svechinskaya faces up to 40 years behind bars for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and false use of a passport and is due to reappear in court tomorrow.
Manhattan lawyer Preet Bharara said: “The digital age brings with it many benefits, but also many challenges for law enforcement and our financial institutuions.
“As these arrests show, the modern, high-tech bank heist does not require a gun, a mask, a note, or a getaway car.
“It requires only the internet and ingenuity and can be accomplished in the blink of an eye, with just a click of the mouse.”
Svechinskaya has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of false use of passports.
No comments:
Post a Comment