FBI hauls in 24 credit card hackers in online sting

The FBI unveiled an online sting resulting in the arrest of 24 suspects accused of online credit card fraud. As part of the two-year online operation, FBI agents set up a "carder forum"—a Web forum where hackers and credit card fraudsters were able to buy, sell, and exchange credit card data stolen from hacked e-commerce websites and other sources, as well as other goods and services related to credit card fraud.

The forum, called "Carder Profit," allowed the FBI to monitor transactions and communications and track the IP addresses of those who used it. During the investigation, the FBI used data exchanged on the forum to alert banks and financial institutions to data breaches. According to an FBI statement, the bureau was able to protect over 411,000 credit card holders from fraud, and prevent over $205 million in losses as a result.

Twelve of those arrested, men between the ages of 19 and 23, were in the US; two more arrested in the US were minors and were not named publicly. Another 13 arrests were made in seven other countries: Bosnia, Bulgaria, Italy, the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, and Japan. Four additional defendants are still being sought for arrest.