For Immediate Release
March 24, 2000

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office

The National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Headquarters, and the Philadelphia Field Office of the FBI, announced today that two 18 year old males were arrested March 23, 2000, by the Dyfed-Powys Police Service in Wales for violation of the United Kingdom's "Computer Misuse Act 1990." The two who, under British Law, cannot be identified at this time, were arrested in connection with alleged intrusions into several E-commerce websites, theft of credit card information related to over 26,000 accounts, and the disclosure of that credit card information on the Internet. It is alleged that nine E-commerce Internet websites in the United States, Canada. Thailand, Japan and the United Kingdom are victims of these subjects using the screen name "Curador." Losses connected with these intrusions could exceed $3,000,000.

These arrests came as a direct result of an FBI investigation conducted in cooperation with the Dyfed-Powys Police Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Internet security consultants. The international banking and credit card industry also provided substantial cooperation in this matter.

This investigation is illustrative of the benefits of law enforcement and private industry, around the world, working together in partnership against computer crime.