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A California man who allegedly duped America Online customers into disclosing their credit card information over the Web was arrested on wire fraud and other charges Thursday.

According to the charges, Jeffrey Brett Goodin of Azusa, Calif., used the fraudulently obtained information to make unauthorized charges using the credit and debit cards of his victims. He allegedly tricked his victims, all America Online subscribers, by sending e-mails urging them to "update" their AOL billing information or lose their service--a method known as phishing.

As is typical with such schemes, the e-mails allegedly sent by Goodin appeared to have come from AOL's billing department, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles that announced the arrest. The e-mails, which were sent by the thousands, directed recipients to phony Web sites operated by the sender, and prompted potential victims to enter personal information, including credit and debit card numbers.

Goodin, 45, is charged with wire fraud and the unauthorized use of an access device, i.e., a credit card. If convicted of both offenses, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The FBI, the Secret Service and police in Ontario, Calif., all helped investigate the case.
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Read More / Source: ZDNet