Indonesian hackers arrested over US$60 million US COVID-19 scam

Two Indonesian hackers have been arrested over an international scam in which US$60 million was stolen from a COVID-19 aid program helping Americans left jobless by the pandemic, authorities said.

Text messages were sent to 20 million Americans directing them to more than a dozen fake US government websites, police in Indonesia said late on Thursday (Apr 15).

Thousands of victims supplied personal information, including social security numbers, to the fake sites in the hopes of securing US$2,000 offered under a real assistance program for the unemployed, authorities said.

But their data was instead used by scammers to steal millions of dollars from the program

The two suspects were arrested last month in Indonesia’s second-biggest city Surabaya after police were notified by US authorities.

Indonesian police did not say how long the scam had been running.

The pair could face up to nine years in prison under Indonesia’s electronic information law.

Police said they were investigating the possible involvement of a third person who may have secured funds illicitly.