iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
The FBI’s carder forum sting, Operation Card Shop, led to 24 arrests announced on June 26, 2012: 11 in the United States and 13 abroad in seven countries. The FBI had operated an undercover carding forum called Carder Profit from June 2010 until May 2012. The 24 arrests were the announcement-day count—not the eventual total reported later.
What was Operation Card Shop?
Operation Card Shop was a two-year international FBI investigation into online carding. On June 26, 2012, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI announced 24 arrests across 13 participating countries: 11 in the United States and 13 abroad. The announcement also reported more than 30 interviews and more than 30 search warrants. FBI announcement, June 26, 2012.
The 13 foreign arrests were in seven countries: six in the United Kingdom, two in Bosnia, and one each in Bulgaria, Norway, Germany, Italy, and Japan. Australia, Canada, Denmark, and Macedonia also took coordinated action, but the announcement did not count those countries among the seven where the 13 foreign arrests occurred.
Recommended Free Tools
Preet Bharara, then U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said, “As the cyber threat grows more international, the response must be increasingly global and forceful.” Janice K. Fedarcyk, then Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, said the arrests caused “significant disruption to the underground economy.” These were officials’ assessments of their operation, not independent evaluations.
#1 Best Overall
- With Square Terminal, you can ring up sales, accept payments, and print receipts, all with one device. Use it at the counter or ring up customers anywhere in your store.
- Accept all major credit and debit cards and pay one low rate with no hidden fees and no long-term contracts.
- Process chip cards in just two seconds.
- Get your money as soon as the next business day.
- Use it cordlessly with the built-in battery, designed to last all day.
How did the FBI use Carder Profit?
The FBI said it established the undercover forum in June 2010 to identify and investigate people involved in carding and to prevent harm to victims. Carder Profit allowed discussion and offers to buy, sell, or exchange goods and services associated with carding. The FBI took it offline in May 2012.
According to the FBI, the forum recorded registered users’ discussion threads and private messages and logged their IP addresses. That access gave investigators a view of communications on the undercover forum; it does not, by itself, establish that every person who used it committed a crime. FBI account of the operation.
Rank #2
- Get your money as soon as the next business day.
- Get set up quickly with no long-term commitments. Download the Square Point of Sale app for free, create an account, and start taking payments anywhere.
- Run your business all in one place with the free Square Point of Sale app. Track your sales, manage inventory, accept tips, send receipts digitally, and more.
- Works with Apple devices with a Lightning connector.
What did “carding” mean in the case?
In the official accounts, carding involved stolen credit-card, bank-account, or other personal information. The DOJ described uses including fraudulent purchases, producing counterfeit cards or identification documents, and selling stolen information. Carding forums could also be used to discuss hacking methods or vulnerabilities and to trade account data, counterfeit-card hardware, and goods bought with compromised accounts. These are descriptions of the activity under investigation, not findings against every forum member. DOJ follow-up, July 11, 2012.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Such forums were not necessarily open public message boards: official descriptions say they commonly restricted membership, used aliases and passwords, and included both public threads and private messages. In this operation, Carder Profit was an FBI-controlled forum configured to let investigators observe and record communications. FBI account; DOJ follow-up.
Rank #3
- MSR90 is a USB emulation keyboard interface that not need any driver or software,USB simply plug and play
- Reads up to 3 tracks of information,can reads ISO7811, AAMVA, CA DMV and most other card data formats
- Threaded inserts for mounting. LED indicator, green light is on when connecting,green light blinks when cards swiped
- Bi-directional swipe reading, superior reading of high jitter, scratched, and worn magstripe cards, reliable for over 1,000,000 card swipes
- Configuration software makes configuration changes easy,works with: Windows OS and Mac OS
Why did reports say 24 arrests and later 30?
The figures refer to different stages of the investigation, so they should not be treated as conflicting counts for the same date.
| Report | Count and scope |
|---|---|
| June 26, 2012 announcement | 24 arrests: 11 in the United States and 13 abroad in seven countries, as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI. Source. |
| July 11, 2012 DOJ follow-up | 27 reported arrests, after three more people had been arrested since the June 26 announcement. Source. |
| Later DOJ sentencing release | 30 defendants described as ultimately arrested in 13 countries. Source. |
The June 26 announcement and the forum timeline place the 24-arrest action in 2012. The July follow-up contains a reference to “June 26, 2010,” but that date conflicts with those contemporaneous accounts and appears to be a typographical error.
Rank #4
- USB interface, keyboard emulation, no need to install software to read, configuration software for changing settings available.
- Read data from all 3 tracks, high and low coercivity cards, ISO7811, AAMVA, CA DMV and most magnetic card data formats.
- Work on Windows, Mac and other USB capable systems. Work with TXT, notepad, Word, Excel, POS systems and son on.
- Compact size, with 145cm USB cord, two 3mm-diameter screw holes for fixing at the bottom, a LED indicator light
- Perfect for POS, Banking, Loyalty, Access Control, ID verification and other applications.
What impact did the FBI report?
In its 2012 announcement, the FBI said the operation helped prevent estimated potential losses of more than $205 million, prompted notification about over 411,000 compromised credit and debit cards, and led to notifications to 47 companies, government entities, and educational institutions about network breaches. These are figures reported by the FBI at the time; the estimated potential loss figure is not a court finding or an independently established final loss total. FBI announcement.
What is known about later case outcomes?
A later DOJ release says Justin Mills was sentenced to six years in prison for trafficking in stolen identification information and describes 30 defendants as ultimately arrested. That is a documented outcome for Mills, not a complete account of every defendant’s case. The available official accounts do not establish a current case-by-case disposition for everyone involved. An arrest or complaint is not a conviction, and allegations attributed to defendants should not be read as proven conduct unless established in court. DOJ sentencing release.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Pay one transparent rate per swipe for Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.
- Works in conjunction with most downloadable Square point-of-sale apps on your device. Customers can pay, tip and sign directly on your device. Track payments in cash, gift cards and more. Also lets you send receipts via e-mail or text message, makes it easy to apply discounts, keeps a data and sales history log and more.
- Accepts magstripe credit card payments, including those from Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express (fees apply).
- App sends deposits to your bank account within 1 to 2 business days, or enjoy instant deposits (fees apply).
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
