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Local Hacker Sentenced to 12 Years for Credit Card Scam
SEATTLE, WA – In a shocking case of cybercrime, David Benjamin Schrooten, a 22-year-old Dutch citizen, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in a massive credit card hacking and fraud scheme.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Schrooten, also known online as ‘Fortezza,’ pleaded guilty in November 2012 to Conspiracy to Commit Access Device Fraud and Bank Fraud, Access Device Fraud, Bank Fraud, Intentional Damage to a Protected Computer, and Aggravated Identity Theft.
The scheme, which victimized people around the world, involved the theft and sale of credit card information. Investigators estimate that tens of thousands of people were affected, resulting in over $63 million in damages.
Schrooten’s co-conspirator, Christopher A. Schroebel, 21, of Keedysville, Maryland, hacked into the computers of two Seattle area businesses, stealing credit card information. Schroebel inserted malicious code onto the victim’s computers, copying personal information from point of sale terminals.
Schroebel and Schrooten worked together to build ‘carding websites,’ making the stolen credit card numbers available to criminals for fraud. The scheme was brought down by the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force and the Seattle Police Department.
Schrooten’s sentencing comes as a warning to online criminals that they will be pursued and brought to justice. ‘By trafficking over 100,000 credit card numbers stolen by hackers, this defendant helped create the profitable black market for stolen data,’ said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.
Schrooten was arrested and extradited from Romania, and his sentencing marks a significant victory in the fight against cybercrime. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn Warma.
As the investigation continues, another individual, Charles Tony Williamson, 33, of Torrance, California, is charged with 22 counts of various felony offenses, including Conspiracy to Access Protected Computers to Further Fraud, Access Device Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft.
Williamson is scheduled for trial in the spring.
The case highlights the growing problem of credit card fraud, which costs financial institutions $40 billion annually. In the Western District of Washington, over 180,000 stolen credit card numbers have been identified in recent cyber cases.
David Benjamin Schrooten, 22, of The Netherlands, defendant/respondent, Exact criminal charges: Conspiracy to Commit Access Device Fraud and Bank Fraud, Access Device Fraud, Bank Fraud, Intentional Damage to a Protected Computer, and Aggravated Identity Theft. City and state: Seattle, WA. Exact date: November 2012. Sentence or outcome: 12 years in prison. Dollar amount: $63 million in damages.
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Cybercrime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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