Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Identity Fraud in Crypto Exchange Registration!
An Australian man has been sentenced to two years in prison for cyber identity fraud, which involved the creation of online cryptocurrency accounts using forged documents.
On June 21, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) reported that a 31-year-old Australian man was sentenced in the Melbourne County Court.
Initially, the Australian federal government's cybercrime reporting website Report Cyber received a complaint from a victim in New South Wales about the unauthorized creation of a bank account.
An AFP investigation found that the perpetrator used a forged driver's license, along with the details of the real victim and his photo, to open accounts on two cryptocurrency exchanges.
Operation Stonefish Unveils Cybercrime Network
This arrest follows an international investigation into a website that sold fraudulent technology and facilitated the theft of victims totaling more than $670,000.
AFP launched Operation Stonefish in August 2022. Prior to this, the UK investigated a website that offered deception services for as little as $25.
After subscribing, the website allowed users to conduct fraudulent activities. These services included making robocalls, sending one-time passwords, and using other deceptive services to facilitate scams.
Analysis showed that Australia was a popular target for users of the site. Therefore, the two authorities worked together to identify victims of the site and potential users in Australia. This led to the arrest of two more people, according to another AFP report.
Perpetrator prosecuted for identity fraud, among others
In November 2022, AFP officers searched the man's home in Bologna. They seized blank and forged driver's licenses, lost passports and cards in the name of others. In addition, on his computer, they found messages discussing identity crimes and creating false documents on an encrypted messaging platform.
Therefore, the perpetrator faces multiple charges under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 and the Criminal Code. These include providing false information, dealing with the proceeds of crime and possessing false documents.
He was sentenced to two years in prison with a non-parole period of 10 months.$BTC $ETH $SOL
