Two Iranian Hackers Charged With Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud

Two Iranian hackers were charged with credit card fraud, computer hacking conspiracy, and extortion, according to the United States Department of Justice.

Spanning for almost a decade, the two Iranians – Arash Amiri Abedian, 31, and Danial Jeloudar, 27 – conspired to violate US laws since residing in the Islamic Repulic of Iran, around October 2007.

Using malware and other “malicious software” to collect credit card information and personal information on users that transacted online from specific merchants, the two hackers also used the stolen information to fraudulently acquire goods and services. They are also under extortion charges as they have obtained money, goods, and services by threatening victims to expose stolen credit card and personal information.

“The superseding indictment further alleges that, in January 2017, Jeloudar contacted a California-based online merchant and threatened to disclose its customers” credit card numbers and other related information previously obtained by hacking the merchant”s website, unless it made a Bitcoin payment to Jeloudar,” reads the Department of Justice press release. “Jeloudar also threatened to disclose to the company”s customers that their private information had been compromised and launched a denial-of-service attack on the company”s website.”

The case was investigated by the FBI”s South Carolina Cyber Squad and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Klumb of the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Heather Alpino of the National Security Division”s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section will be prosecuting the case.

The two hackers are currently tagged on the FBI”s website as “an international flight risk” and believed to currently be residing in Iran. They are likely to face extradition if they should fly to a country allied to the US, as a warrant has been issued for their arrest.