An 18-year-old youth has been arrested on charges of purchasing several items worth over Rs. 5.5 million by stealing and illegally storing the information of 500,000 credit card users.
The youth was arrested by the Sri Lanka Police Computer Crime Investigation Division. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the suspect had used 90 credit cards and purchased items worth Rs. 5.5 million.
The Police stated that he was arrested in Dummalasuriya on Thursday (05) following a complaint filed by an online retail store on 4th January 2023.
The suspect is reported to have illegally stored details of credit cardholders using social media communities and had carried out this racket.
The Police stated inspection of the suspect’s computer had revealed that he had illegally stored information of 500,000 credit card users and had used the data to purchase various items online.
The suspect is reported to have purchased several items, including computers, cameras, food, and alcohol from time to time using the credit card data. The suspect had made the purchases from various areas and had selected different locations for the delivery of the goods as well.
According to the Police, the suspect is an individual who had failed his GCE Ordinary Level Examination and is employed as a contract worker and had used a mobile phone to carry out the racket.
The Police have launched investigations to apprehend other persons who had been involved with the suspect. (NewsWire)