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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Credit card hacker sentenced to 20 years in jail

Alberto Gonzalez has been jailed for 20 years for his role in stealing the details of millions of credit card users.
Credit card hacker sentenced to 20 years in jail
Alberto Gonzalez

The 28 year-old was found guilty on three counts of fraud after hacking into the computer systems of organisations including Heartland Payment Systems and 7-Eleven among many others.

Thefts perpetrated by the hacker, who was working as an informant for the US Secret Service when he carried out the crimes, were found to have cost banks and insurers up to $200 million.

Mr Gonzalez said: “I am guilty of these crimes ... I accept full responsibility for these actions.”

He received three 20-year sentences which will all run concurrently as a fine of $25,000 in addition to the jail term.

Up to $2.8 million is thought to have been amassed by the hacker, money which he spent on an apartment in Miami, a Tiffany ring for his partner and Rolex watches for friends and family.

He is also thought to have been drawing a $75,000 annual salary while working as an informant between 2003 and 2008.

The criminal’s accomplices, only known as Hacker One and Hacker Two, have not yet been caught by the authorities.

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