ATLANTA – Eric Donys Simeu, a/k/a Martell Collins, has been sentenced to four years, ten months in federal prison for a series of “phishing campaigns” which targeted clients of Global Distribution Systems.
According to U.S. Attorney John Horn, Simeu was responsible for a series of “phishing campaigns” which targeted customers of Global Distribution System (“GDS”) companies from approximately July 2011 to September 2014. The GDS companies impacted by Simeu’s criminal conduct included Travelport, which maintains a major presence in Atlanta, and Sabre, which is headquartered in Southlake, Texas.
A “phishing campaign” is the act of sending targeted emails to individuals for the purpose of acquiring usernames and passwords. The emails masquerade as an official communication from a legitimate company to gain the trust of the recipient and deceive them into providing protected information.
GDS companies provide travel booking services to travel agencies and travel-related websites. Airline tickets that are issued from sources other than air carriers themselves are generally processed through a GDS company. Customers of GDS companies, such as representatives from a travel agency or travel-related website, are issued unique login credentials that are used to authenticate their identity and facilitate the issuance of airline tickets on GDS servers.
Simeu’s phishing campaigns targeted customers of Travelport and Sabre, causing phishing emails to be delivered to their customers for the purpose of obtaining and stealing their unique log-in credentials. Simeu and others used the stolen log-in credentials to access the servers of Travelport and Sabre and cause the issuance of fraudulent airline tickets. Simeu and others then sold these airline tickets to customers, mostly in West Africa, for fractions of the actual cost, or used them for personal travel. The value of the fraudulently issued airline tickets exceeded $2 million.
Simeu, 32, was arrested by French law enforcement on September 3, 2014, pursuant to a federal criminal complaint issued out of the Northern District of Georgia. Simeu was extradited from France and has now been sentenced to four years, ten months in federal prison for his role in the phishing schemes.
This case shows the global reach of our cyber investigation and prosecution capabilities, said U.S. Attorney John Horn. The great work of our domestic and international law enforcement partners brought a cybercriminal operating from the streets of West Africa to justice for seeking to harm one of our district’s corporate citizens, among others.
This sentencing sends a strong message that we are committed to making sure those who commit cybercrimes, identity theft and fraud, face consequences for their criminal actions, said Richard Ingram, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
Defendant: Eric Donys Simeu
Criminal Charges: Phishing schemes targeting clients of Global Distribution Systems
City and State: Atlanta, Georgia
Arrest Date: September 3, 2014
Sentence: Four years, ten months in federal prison
Dollar Amount: Over $2 million in fraudulent airline tickets
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Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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