Argentine police say they have arrested an alleged 19-year-old hacker on suspicion of leading a network specializing in fraud and complex financial transactions that led to security breaches at numerous Web sites.
The youth, whose identity has not been revealed, is the son of an information systems engineer. He was initially detained at his home in Buenos Aires in July as part of “Operation Zombie,” which included five raids in the capital and the city of Rosario, about 300km north, the Security Ministry reported on Friday.
Experts believe the “super-hacker” diverted about US$50,000 a month to his bank account, using the “technological cave” he assembled at his home. Police raiding his Buenos Aires residence seized sophisticated computers and other technological equipment. Officials identified six more people who were involved in the criminal network.
The police department’s Operation Zombie began last year, when a businessman who offered hosting services for personal Web pages on his servers said that a hacker was remotely entering the servers to intercept monetary transfers.
Former criminal attorney Graciela Gils Carbo, who is now Argentina’s chief prosecutor, ordered the federal police to begin an investigation that uncovered that the same person was stealing from money transfer and online game sites.
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