The police became aware of the fraud several months ago and launched an investigation. This found that criminals were accessing confidential customer banking details relating to banks and other financial institutions. They were then using this information for criminal purposes, including identity theft, fraudulent credit and loan applications, and balance transfers.
The fraudsters had obtained almost £2 million from over 100 account holders, said police.
Strathclyde Police's Fraud Squad took action against the fraudsters on Thursday, in an operation that involved 200 officers, visits to 42 addresses in the Strathclyde force area, and the interviewing of 30 individuals – 28 of whom have now been charged with money laundering offences.
The investigation is continuing.
"These types of crime are not victimless, and I can reassure financial institutions and their customers, that Strathclyde Police is committed to targeting criminals who profit from this fraudulent activity," said Detective Chief Superintendent Ruaraidh Nicolson, head of CID.
Detective Chief Inspector David Leitch from the Forces' Fraud Squad led the operation. He advised:
"Easy and cost effective steps can be taken to avoid becoming a victim of this type of crime. It is a misconception that shredders are for businesses only. Many high street shops sell manual and electrical shredders for as little as £5. Members of the public can have peace of mind by shredding their personal documents thus avoiding the opportunity for their details to fall into the hands of criminals."
The police crackdown took place on the same day that a new survey from consumer group Which? found that one quarter of UK adults have had their identity stolen or know someone who has been a victim of ID fraud.
The group also warned that finding the basic information needed to steal an identity is easy.
