JAKARTA - A total of 13 people were arrested in Romania on suspicion of involvement in a phishing attack targeting the British Tax Office (HMRC). During the operation, authorities suspected the stolen data was used to cheat claiming millions of pounds sterling in the form of tax payments.
HMRC (His Majesty's Revenue & Customs) said that their criminal investigation team had teamed up with more than 100 Romanian police officers to arrest suspects in the region of Ilfov, Giurgiu, and Calarasi in the southern part of the country.
During the raid, the police confiscated some cash and luxury cars. The suspects, aged between 23 and 53, were arrested on charges of computer fraud, money laundering, and illegal access to computer systems.
Meanwhile, another 38-year-old man was arrested on Thursday, July 10, in Preston, northwestern England.
This arrest is a continuation of last month's HMRC disclosure that criminal groups had stolen funds of 47 million (Rp1 trillion) through phishing methods. More than 100,000 customer accounts were compromised and used to claim fraudulent payments from the government.
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HMRC explained that this incident was an attempted fraud against tax institutions, not directly against customers. However, it has still sent notifications to around 100,000 affected people.
Criminal gangs are suspected of using stolen data to file false claims for tax returns, including income tax, value added tax (VAT), and child support.
"We have acted to protect customers after identifying access efforts to a small number of tax accounts," said Simon Grunwell, operational lead at the HMRC Fraud Investigation Service.
Previously, two men had also been arrested in Bukares in November 2024 on suspicion of involvement in cyber crimes and fraud.
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