Forwarded by Amelia and we wondered - Mike Pugliese does that name ring a bell so maybe is one on CTRL and SNET list? Thought this item rather humorous. Saba MIKE PUGLIESE - you still here? Two charged with stealing celebrity ID's off Net Two Brooklyn men have been charged with using the Internet to scoop up the identity of hundreds of America's best known celebrities, including Martha Stewart, Paul Allen, Michael Eisner and Steven Spielberg, police said Tuesday. The two men, Abraham Abdallah and Michael Pugliese, stole about $100,000 and were angling to make millions, New York Police Sgt. Andrew McGinnis told CNN. Abdallah and Pugliese have been charged with criminal possession of forged devices, stolen property and criminal impersonation. Security on the Net The two suspects were arrested earlier this month in a police sting, McGinnis said. They were found with about $100,000 worth of computer hardware and software, plus funds diverted from some of the celebrities. Accused of complex e-mail scheme The two men are accused of using a complicated e-mail scheme to obtain control of bank and credit card accounts, even information about the mother's maiden name of some of the celebrities. The FBI, Secret Service, the U.S. Attorney and U.S. Postal Service inspectors are also investigating, although there was no confirmation whether any federal charges have been filed. The New York Post, which broke the story, said the scheme involved attempts to divert money from such brokerages as Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs. The brokerages declined to comment directly on the case. "Merrill Lynch has extensive fraud and security control procedures in place to safe guard our clients and proprietary information. When we detect potential abuses we take appropriate action, including reporting the conduct to the proper authorities," the brokerage said in a statement. The Original Story from: cnn Web Search � Copyright 1999 - 2001 YOU. home | contact us | advertising | about YOU
http://www.you.com.au/news/374.htm
