The Wichita Police Department has arrested two 15 year olds
following a two month long surveillance operation following
allegations that the teenagers e-mailed AOL users in several US
states, tricking receivers into parting with credit card
details.
The e-mails were sent under the guise of “Steve Case” of the
“AOL Billing Team”. The e-mails asked recipients to visit a web
site and input personal information, including credit card
numbers.
AOL has confirmed that the messages were not sent by Steve Case,
the company’s president and chief executive, and that the company
does not ask for members’ passwords or credit card numbers.
The teenagers used the credit card information that they
collected to fraudulently purchase various items, including
computer software and equipment. They will probably be prosecuted
in juvenile court for violation of state computer crime legislation
and illegal use of credit cards.
