An underground cybercrime network, SWAT USA Drop Service, situated in Russia, currently has over 1,200 American employees, many of whom are inadvertently involved in the reshipping of luxury consumer products bought with stolen credit cards.
This drop service is a substantial cybercrime network known for laundering ill-gotten merchandise. It was recently breached, exposing extensive details about its inner workings, financials, and organizational hierarchy. This massive underground operation has been under investigation for a long time, yet the recent breach provided law enforcement authorities with a goldmine of information to potentially dismantle the network. The unwitting participants, often recruited through discreet job advertisements, are now at risk of potential legal repercussions, raising concerns about the ethical implications of employing individuals without their knowledge of the illicit nature of their work.
Emergence of drops for stuff and reshipping schemes with the exploitation of innocent individuals
As online sellers started denying deliveries to locations notorious for credit card fraud, underground reshipping schemes arose, employing individuals in the US and Europe to accept and forward stolen items to restricted areas. Services like the fake SWAT are dubbed “Drops for stuff” within cybercrime circles. These illicit services recruit individuals, often unknowingly, to act as “drops” who receive the stolen merchandise and subsequently send it to fraudsters in restricted locations. The anonymity provided by reshipping networks allows cybercriminals to bypass traditional anti-fraud measures and continue to exploit stolen credit card information.
People who act as “drops” usually find work-at-home package reshipping jobs on websites such as Craigslist and other employment search platforms. The scams promise monthly wages and bonuses, but contact generally stops before the first paycheck is due. These unsuspecting individuals then become unknowing partners in criminal activities involving the movement of stolen goods. Unsuspecting “drops” can face legal consequences, and they are left without the promised wages, putting them in a challenging financial situation.
A substantial part of fake SWAT’s income comes from acquiring up to 50% of the profits from “stuffers,” criminals who use stolen credit cards to buy high-value items and send them to a “drop’s” location. These “stuffers” can obtain goods without being directly linked to the crime, thus making it difficult for authorities to trace the stolen merchandise. Additionally, their collaboration with the SWAT team allows for an expansive network, resulting in a significant amount of profits that are essential for both parties’ criminal operations.
How SWAT adapts and evolves to stay in business
Once the drop has been received and the package forwarded, the stuffer can sell the goods on the local black market. Phony SWAT has operated for nearly ten years under various names and leadership configurations. Over the years, the organization has managed to adapt and evolve in response to law enforcement crackdowns, making it increasingly challenging to dismantle.
As technology advances, both fake SWAT and other similar operations have utilized new methods to streamline their operations and stay under the radar, posing a significant challenge for authorities.
Featured Image Credit: Mikhail Nilov; Pexels; Thank you!
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