37 'Money Mules' Arrested

21 Separate Cases Tied to Global Fraud Schemes

Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

A federal crackdown on ACH and wire fraud has produced 37 arrests of a money mule operation -- part of what law enforcement is calling a sophisticated bank fraud scheme that used malware to siphon off millions of dollars from U.S. bank accounts.

The 37 defendants are charged in 21 separate cases for their roles in the fraud schemes that reached around the world. Arrests were made in London earlier this week in a similar case related to bank account fraud using the same type of malware.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara says that the cyber attacks that targeted businesses and other entities here in the U.S. began in Eastern Europe, and included the use of a malware known as the "Zeus Trojan," a type of keylogger malware that is designed to steal banking credentials.

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