Cybercrime never pays – at least not when Microsoft is actively tipping off law enforcement on crimes. Just recently in England, Microsoft tipped off the City of London Police about scammers who were selling counterfeit Microsoft product keys and software online.
The City of London Police’s intellectual property crime unit (PIPCU) apparently arrested six people in Humberside, England, including a 40 year old woman, two men in their 20s, two men aged 70 and 38, and a 66 year old woman. These arrests were a part of a wide scale operation where cybercriminals were selling counterfeit product keys, Windows installation discs, and key cards through multiple accounts on an “online selling platform.”
“Cybercrime can take many forms – ranging from manufacturing and selling counterfeit software, to stealing money, personal information and even identities from people’s computers using malware,” Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) attoryney Abrahim Bakhtiar stated.
“Microsoft works closely with many law enforcement agencies such as PIPCU and Trading Standards to ensure criminal actions are pursued. This investigation is a real testament to PIPCU’s and Microsoft DCU’s resolve when it comes to stamping out cybercrime and we applaud the swift action PIPCU and Humberside Police have undertaken in relation to this case,” Bakhtiar adds.
All suspects were released on bail and the total counterfeit products were estimated to be worth more than 100,000 in pounds (currency).
