US Apprehends Army Soldier In Connection With AT&T, Verizon Hacks
Read also: Former AT&T employee arrested for fraud, two Indians charged in fraud tech support scheme, and more.
Thursday, January 9, 2025
US authorities arrest an Army soldier in connection with AT&T, Verizon hacks
US authorities have apprehended a US Army communications specialist allegedly linked to high-profile cybercrimes targeting major telecom companies, AT&T and Verizon. The soldier, identified as 20-year-old Cameron John Wagenius, was taken into custody on December 20 near Fort Hood, Texas.
Wagenius, accused of operating under the alias ‘Kiberphant0m,’ has been charged with two criminal counts of unlawfully transferring confidential phone records. The charges stem from his alleged role in the "Snowflake hacking spree" in May 2024, during which sensitive customer data was compromised and later leaked or sold online.
According to authorities, Wagenius had been stationed in South Korea as a communications specialist, working on radio signals and network communications, before returning periodically to the United States.
While the indictment is scarce on details, reports connect Wagenius to Connor Riley Moucka, a Canadian cybercriminal known online as “Judische.” Moucka was arrested in October 2024 for his role in compromising data from companies using the Snowflake cloud platform. The duo allegedly collaborated in targeting organizations with sensitive data, demanding ransoms under threat of public exposure.
A former AT&T employee arrested for fraudulent activity on customer accounts
A former AT&T employee has been arrested for allegedly adding unauthorized phone and tablet lines to customer accounts to boost her commission earnings. Authorities identified the employee as 35-year-old Katie Ann Barnaby. She has been charged with a third-degree computer crime.
The investigation began in February 2024, when an AT&T customer reported noticing fraudulent activity on their account. The customer stated that they had purchased a Samsung phone, watch, and accessories at an AT&T store in Stafford Springs in December 2021, where Barnaby was their sales consultant.
Shortly after the purchase, the customer discovered their monthly bills were higher than what had been agreed upon. Upon contacting AT&T, they learned Barnaby was under an internal investigation for similar fraudulent activities involving other customers.
According to an arrest warrant, AT&T’s internal review revealed that between November 2021 and January 2022, Barnaby added and removed protection plans and features on at least 30 customer accounts without authorization. From December 2021 to July 2022, Barnaby received $1,150 in commission payments tied to the fraudulent transactions.
Two India citizens charged in elder fraud tech support scheme
US authorities charged Ahmed Maqbul Syed and Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, both citizens of India, for their alleged involvement in an elaborate tech support fraud scheme targeting elderly victims across the United States.
According to the indictment, Syed, Chintakindi, and other co-conspirators orchestrated a fraudulent operation designed to deceive victims into believing their computers or financial accounts had been compromised. Victims were initially tricked by pop-up alerts on their computers, falsely claiming their devices were hacked or otherwise compromised.
The pop-ups instructed victims to contact fake “tech support” or “government representatives.” Instead of receiving assistance, victims were connected to scammers who further tried to convince them that their computer or financial account was compromised. To “protect” their assets, victims were instructed to purchase gold from various dealers and withdraw cash, which was then collected by individuals posing as government representatives.
If convicted, both scammers face over 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Syed has been arrested in connection with the charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is being held in custody pending trial.
A perpetrator in an international sextortion and money laundering scheme pleads guilty
A US resident has admitted his role in a large-scale international sextortion and money laundering operation. Mohamed Diarra pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
Court documents reveal that between May 2020 and December 2022, Diarra collaborated with co-conspirators in Côte d’Ivoire to execute a financially motivated sextortion scheme involving obtaining explicit photos or videos of victims under false pretenses, threatening to distribute the material, and demanding payments to prevent exposure.
Diarra played a critical role in laundering the victims' funds. Acting as a ‘money mule,’ he funneled the proceeds through personal and third-party financial accounts, including peer-to-peer (P2P) payment platforms. He also recruited others to join the scheme as money mules.
Prosecutors allege that Diarra and his co-conspirators employed various techniques to ‘cash out’ the stolen money, including transferring funds through US bank accounts, withdrawing cash, or converting the funds into goods. Diarra faces up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled at a later date.
Nigeria’s police nab suspects in high-profile cybercrime cases
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has apprehended key suspects linked to several high-profile cybercrimes, including identity theft, business email compromise (BEC), computer-related fraud, money laundering, and WhatsApp hacking.
Among those arrested was Douglass Victor, a key member of a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate. Investigators recovered extensive evidence from Victor’s Skype account, including thousands of compromised email credentials and login details. The investigation revealed that the syndicate operates on an international scale, relying exclusively on Skype for communication to evade detection. Efforts are currently underway to locate and apprehend the group’s leader, Diepreye Samuel, and other members who remain at large.
In a related incident, the NPF-NCCC arrested 26-year-old Egbo Efe Martins accused of facilitating cybercrime by fraudulently opening and renting bank accounts to cybercriminals.
In another case, the police arrested a hacker who breached the financial system of the Enugu State government and stole N1,097,700,300 (~$755,000).
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