Six people have been arrested in connection with a £1m phishing scam targeting hundreds of students, the Metropolitan Police have said.
A criminal network targeted students on government loan schemes, sending out emails to convince them to reveal their bank account details on a bogus website.
Once students accessed the sites, the fraudsters had been able to take money ranging from £1,000 to £5,000 at a time.
The force's Central e-crime Unit discovered the plot in August this year and worked with the Student Loans Company, the banking industry and internet service providers to catch the suspects.
On Thursday, they seized computers and other equipment from addresses in London, Manchester and Bolton.
Those arrested included a 26-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman who were both seized in Manchester, a 25-year-old man who was arrested in Deptford, south London, a 49-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man who were seized in Stratford, northeast London, and a 38-year-old man who was arrested in Bolton, Lancashire.
They have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering offences, and are being held at central London, Manchester and Bolton police stations.
No comments:
Post a Comment