[ISN] Romanian Auction Scammer on the Lam

From: InfoSec News <alerts_at_private>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:09:57 -0500 (CDT)
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/04/auction-scammer-flees/

By Kim Zetter 
Threat Level
Wired.com
April 12, 2010

Romanian authorites made headlines last week after busting 70 suspected 
cyberthieves accused of operating online auction scams. But it turns out 
one of the ringleaders was set free after authorities failed to file the 
required paperwork on time - and now he's vanished.

Police say the 70 suspects ran scams on eBay and other online auction 
sites since 2006.

Romanian law allows suspects to be held in jail, in a so-called 
preventive arrest, for 29 days while an investigation is underway if 
authorities prove to the court that they need to hold the suspect while 
evidence is examined. While the court was busy ruling on an extended 
arrest for the other suspects, Nicolae Popescu, 30, walked out of the 
courthouse without the police being notified, according to a local news 
report. The deadline for his initial arrest had passed, and because the 
court had not yet ruled on his extended detention, he was allowed to 
leave.

Romanian police defended the slip, saying there were too many criminals 
to process and not enough people to watch the suspects and do the 
paperwork. Agents had been working 48 hours and were tired, a spokesman 
told a local paper.

Police are now appealing to the public to be on the lookout for Popescu 
or any of his three cars.

[...]


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Received on Mon Apr 12 2010 - 22:09:57 PDT

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