An investigation into employees of the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) and a hacker from São Paulo who sold confidential data of Brazilians indicates that for each password provided, the server involved earned R$25.
“The data was sold. And a charge of around R$25 was identified for each Gov.br password sold, and R$300 for each benefit unlocked [no INSS]”, points out delegate Lucas Amorim Ferreira, from Cascavel (PR), responsible for this Thursday’s (26) operation against the group.
According to the delegate, the scheme was divided into groups:
- hackers who used advanced cyber intrusion techniques and managed to directly access the INSS database;
- federal agency employees who sold their respective system access credentials;
- individuals who sold beneficiary data to any interested party;
Ferreira explains that he reached the people under investigation, including INSS employees, a hacker and an intern at the federal agency, after arresting members of a gang that was withdrawing benefit money from bank branches.
“Operation Data Market is the result of an investigation into the leaking and commercialization of INSS beneficiary data. Based on a previous operation, we identified a criminal organization that acquired this data, falsified identity documents, went to bank branches and made withdrawals and fraudulently took out loans,” he says.
This new investigation sought to identify who provided this data to the group of fraudsters, explains the delegate. “And it was possible to identify a large and lucrative scheme with this sale of data.”
According to the PF, the investigation found that approximately 40 thousand passwords were sold, which would give the group a profit of R$1 million, in this regard alone, without counting sales for unlocking benefits.
The investigation also revealed that, in the last three months alone, 2,800 benefit releases were made, which would result in a profit of R$840,000 in the quarter.
In total, the organization would have made a profit of R$32 million.
The investigation also indicates that one of the groups identified was responsible for recruiting federal public servants to provide Social Security logins. The password gives access to the Meu INSS system and this allows information to be changed and even benefits to be requested.
The operation
The PF served 18 arrest warrants and 29 search and seizure warrants this Thursday against INSS employees and a hacker in this investigation.
The Court also ordered the judicial seizure of 24 properties belonging to the group’s members, as well as the blocking of financial resources in the bank accounts used by them, up to the amount of R$34 million.
Those involved will be charged with criminal organization, corruption, hacking into computer devices, violating functional secrecy, obtaining and selling confidential data and money laundering, with sentences that, if added together, could amount to more than 15 years in prison.
The investigation by the PF in Cascavel (PR) has the support of the Ministry of Social Security.
THE CNN contacted the INSS, but received no response. The Ministry of Social Security said that it works with the PF through the Social Security Task Force to combat structured crimes against the social security system, which detects and analyzes signs of organized crimes and fraud.
Seizures report
- R$ 200 thousand in cash;
- 1 Bitcoin wallet
- Various jewelry and gold nuggets
- Cars: SW4 2022, Volvo 2018, Renegade 2023, BMW X3, BMW X, Porshe 911, 2 Audis, Porshe 911
This content was originally published in INSS servers sold passwords for R$25, says PF delegate on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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