Lebanese lottery scam suspect cuffed in Cyprus
Print$10m Interpol target awaits possible extradition
Posted in Software & Security, 7th December 2007 13:49 GMT
Free whitepaper – What Exchange can't do - and Dell can
In a positively McNabbian tale of intrigue, an alleged Lebanese lottery scammer has been arrested in Cyprus.
Ali Mohamed Kdoud allegedly raked in more than $10m after duping gullible marks into believing they'd won a lottery. The email scam relies on tricking surfers into forking out up-front "processing fees" for non-existent winnings.
Security firm Sophos warns that confidential data obtained via the ruse can sometimes be used to obtain lines of credit under false names, or to raid online bank accounts.
Kdoud, the target of a Interpol investigation over the past two years, was arrested at Cyprus's Larnaca airport on Thursday as he attempted to leave the island. The 39-year-old is reportedly being held in custody pending possible extradition proceedings. ®
Analyst Keynote: The Register Agile Data Center Summit
Managing desktop software for fun and profit
Enhancing retail operations with unified communications
New storage architectures make SSDs more cost-effective
Sign up, sign up for The Register IT security newsletter
Microsoft's Windows 7 price gamble - and why it's flawed
Managing Desktop Software for fun and profit
Intel's flash new SSDs hit by bugs