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UAE police nab hackers targeting US accounts

Three Nigerian hackers, who entered United Arab Emirates as tourists, face imprisonment and fines of up to 544,500 US dollars
Visitors of the 25th edition of the Gulf Information and Communication Technology Exhibition, GITEX, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center in Dubai 25 September 2005 (AFP)
By AFP

United Arab Emirates police have busted a cell of three Nigerian hackers who targeted US bank accounts, the interior ministry said Sunday.

The trio were arrested following a tip-off from police in California about "cyber-criminal activity based in the UAE", a statement said.

They allegedly targeted individuals and institutions in the United States by hacking their emails and accounts to steal private documents and details.

When police raided their hideout in the emirate of Ajman, officers found a list of more than five million electronic bank accounts.

The mastermind of the cell is aged 24, while the other two are both 26. They had all entered the UAE as tourists.

Cybercrimes are punishable by imprisonment and fines of up to two million dirhams ($544,500) in the UAE.

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