Four Belarusians arrested on suspicion of stealing $1.8 million in Internet scam

Four Belarusians are being investigated on suspicion of stealing money from more than 20,000 people in an Internet scam using their credit card details.

The Investigation Committee opened the criminal case in mid-January.

The group, acting in Minsk and Ukraine’s Kyiv, offered on the Internet antivirus software to lure in buyers for the intention of stealing their credit card details, Investigation Committee spokesman Pavel Traulka told BelaPAN on Wednesday.

The four stole more than $1.8 million between January and April 2010, the spokesman said.

Among their victims were citizens of Russia, Kazakhstan, Canada, the United States, Germany, Belgium, Britain, Spain and France.

The four people were arrested this past January in an international operation involving the FBI, with three apprehended in Minsk and the fourth, the suspected leader of the group, in Kyiv. They are now held in custody and may face a prison term of up to 15 years.