10 Held in Internet Thefts From Bank Accounts

Feb. 18

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Authorities Friday detained 10 people suspected of helping to steal money electronically from bank accounts.

Officials from the fraud section of the Judicial Investigation Organization said that thieves are stealing personal bank information by the help of a computer spy program which copies customers' passwords and user information. 

The people arrested are suspected of being “front persons,” and not the actual initiators in the operation, said officials. People allowed stolen money to be transferred into their bank accounts, according to investigators. Then, these front persons would actually go to the bank and withdraw the money from their own accounts. Officials have not yet said if they know who was in charge of the operation.

Thieves targeted both public and private bank accounts, said officials. Authorities from the Sección de Fraudes of the Judicial Investigation Organization arrested the suspects in different areas of the city including Desamparados, Hatillo, Aserrí, Pavas, Alajuela, and San Sebastián. They arrested four women and six men on Friday.

A spokesperson for the Sección de Fraudes said the unit advises citizens not to give banking information to anyone, including family members. They also advised customers who bank online to update all antivirus software and check routinely for computer viruses.

In the last six months the Sección de Fraudes has detained 50 suspects involved in similar crimes, said officials. A total of 390 consumers have filed complaints with the fraud unit, said officials.