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Daily Outrage: International online gang fooled four states into paying fake vendors

By BY Examiner Staff • November 18, 2009 12:00 am

WHO: International online gang from Kenya

WHAT: At least six people allegedly tricked state government agencies in Massachusetts, West Virginia, Kansas and Ohio into paying them $3.3 million owed to legitimate accounting vendors. The gang registered corporations with names spelled just slightly different from Deloitte Consulting or Accenture Corp.

HOW: The gang also set up effective money-laundering fronts and worked with computer hackers in Kenya who broke into state government Web sites to collect information for the scheme.

WHAT’S BEING DONE: The six identified suspects, who were all born in Kenya and now live around Minneapolis, have been charged in federal court. The investigation is ongoing.

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