March 05, 2008

INDONESIAN SENTENCED TO 10 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR HACKING INTO HOTEL BUSINESS KIOSKS AND STEALING CREDIT CARD DATA

A Lomita resident who admitted hacking into business kiosks at hotels and stealing credit card information that he used to obtain credit was sentenced this afternoon to 10 months in federal prison.

Hario Tandiwidjojo, 28, an illegal alien from Indonesia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary A. Feess, who also ordered the defendant to pay $34,266 in restitution.

In December, Tandiwidjojo pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer to conduct fraud. In a plea agreement, Tandiwidjojo admitted that he hacked into approximately 60 computers inside business kiosks operated by Showcase Business Centers, Inc. Tandiwidjojo bypassed four password checks that Showcase Business Centers had in place on their computers, using passwords he obtained while employed by a company that serviced the business kiosks. After hacking into the computers, Tandiwidjojo installed malicious software that allowed him to intercept data, such as credit card information from customers who used the business kiosks. The malicious software transferred the stolen customer data to a website Tandiwidjojo controlled. Tandiwidjojo then used this information to fraudulently make charges to the stolen credit card accounts.

The $34,266 in losses resulted from only three days of computer intrusions in February 2007.

When FBI agents searched Tandiwidjojo’s residence in August, they discovered a credit card writer that is used to put information on magnetic strips on credit cards, a credit card terminal used to process credit card transactions, multiple bank and gift cards, and a California driver’s license with Tandiwidjojo’s picture but another individual’s name.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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For more information on federal criminal defense law, contact the Law Offices of Joseph Shemaria of Los Angeles, California.