A Florida couple have been arrested for allegedly running a small-scale but highly sophisticated phishing scam that managed to steal at least $550,000 from hundreds of victims.
According to police reports in Orlando, it is believed that Stephen Barone, 46, and his wife Robin Barone, 44, targeted customers of JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo with phishing emails asking for their account and personal details in order to supposedly resolve an account breach.
Rather than access the online bank accounts of victims, the pair used the data to order replacement cards to be sent to their own address, which were then used to buy money orders later paid into Stephen Barone's business account.
This low-key approach made it possible for them to commit the crime over a period of years. Around 400 people lost funds totaling at least $550,000, although more victims might be discovered in time, police have indicated.
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