40 million stolen credit cards later, DoJ charges 11 hackers

A group of hackers who perpetrated numerous credit card and personal identification thefts are being charged with numerous crimes ranging from conspiracy, computer intrusion, fraud, and identity theft. Altogether, this constitutes the largest hacking and identity theft case ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice.

Eleven perpetrators from around the world are being charged with the theft and illegal sales of credit card numbers and personal information stolen from retail stores like TJ Maxx, Office Max, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble, Sports, Authority, Forever 21, DSW, and more. After obtaining the data, the perpetrators stored it in an encrypted format (a step that others could learn from) on servers in Eastern Europe and the US, then sold the data to customers in those countries. Credit card numbers were typically imprinted onto blank cards, then used to withdraw tens of thousands of dollars from ATMs.