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Dark Market Mastermind Fraudster Jailed
SOCA have announced today that the criminal who masterminded the Dark Market carder forum has received a four years and eight month jail term.
The Dark Market site is now infamous in the world of online crime, and attendees of last year's Prove ID forum will already have heard exactly how Dark Market worked; as a private network allowing fraudsters to buy and sell credit card details, skimming devices and other tools used in online crime and fraud. The forum was eventually infiltrated by an FBI agent, and a number of arrests were made.
Amongst them was the forum's 'mastermind'; 33 year old Renukanth Subramaniam (pictured), known online as JiLsi. Charged with conspiracy to defraud, Subramaniam pleaded guilty to the charge, alongside 66 year old John McHugh aka 'Devilman', who received a 2 year sentence. Subramaniam was decribed by SOCA as an 'itinerant loner' and described how the ex Pizza Hut worker moved around between friends and family, despite owning 3 of his own properties.
Of 60 arrests made, 5 people have so far been charged as part of the international investigation. One of the most vital parts of the SOCA investigation was proving the link between Subramaniam and McHugh and their online personas; 'JiLsi' and 'Devilman'. Commenting on this vital work, Andy Auld of the e-crime team at SOCA explained: "The legal system doesn't work against nicknames and email addresses. It works against real names and real addresses".
Despite the convictions SOCA will continue to investigate the crimes to recover any proceeds of crime and possibly secure further convictions.
More information on how the Dark Market forum operated can be found in The Guardian Online's article at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/darkmarket-online-fraud-trial-wembley
Monday 1st March 2010
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