Security

Federal prosecutors have accused eight individuals of fraudulently obtaining $22m worth of wireless devices and services from AT&T and T-Mobile in an elaborate four-year scheme that exploited weaknesses in the cellular providers' network. Between 2005 and July this year, two of the defendants used their status as current or former authorized cell phone dealers to tap in to databases maintained by AT&T and T-Mobile, according to an indictment unsealed earlier this week in federal court in Brooklyn, New York. They then stole the names, addresses and personally identifying information of cellular customers. The defendants assumed the identities of these customers and obtained cellular gear by calling the companies and ordering new devices or claiming their current devices were lost or defective. When the carriers had new devices delivered, the defendants paid drivers for Federal Express and DHS to divert the packages to the defendants but report them as being properly delivered.

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