A court in Melbourne, Australia, has ordered a 31-year-old man to face a two-year imprisonment for violating federal law. The court accused the suspect of engaging in cyber-related crime by using falsified documents to create crypto accounts.
According to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Aussie man was arrested after his illegal deeds were discovered during an international investigation on a website selling fraudulent technologies responsible for over $670,000 theft. This investigation started earlier in 2022 by the UK law enforcers to identify the website selling spoofed services at a fee.
Australian Police Charges a Man for Identity Theft
The law enforcers lamented that the website was responsible for conducting significant crimes in the UK and other parts of the world.
After an extensive investigation, the Australian government website Report Cyber was informed about the criminal activity involving creating a bank account with stolen identification details.
The Report Cyber team alerted the AFP concerning the matter for further investigation. The police unit undertook a preliminary investigation to identify the suspect. From their investigation, the AFP noted that the suspect used falsified driving licenses to create two accounts on crypto platforms.
The probing team observed that the criminals used his image and fake details from the stolen driving license to create the crypto accounts. During the investigations, the AFP used the search warrant method to arrest the Boronia resident.
The November search warrant impacted the confiscation of numerous stolen documents, such as driver’s licenses issued by Victorian regulators and Australian and Chinese passports. The probing team also seized multiple driver’s licenses bearing the suspect photo with different names.
Among other documents confiscated by the AFP were stolen Medicare cards, debit cards, and crypto exchange cards. The probing team also assesses the criminal’s gadgets, such as computers and electronic materials.
Aussie Man Using Fake ID to Create Crypto Accounts Facing Legal Charges
The AFP noted that the criminal had installed an encrypted messaging platform on his computer, which guided him in committing identity theft. The criminal also used instruction manuals that provided steps to create a fake identity.
During the interrogation, the AFP complained that the suspect had failed to provide the password for his electronic gadgets.
A statement from the AFP detective superintendent, Tim Stainton, lamented that identity theft negatively affected the victims. The official stated that identity theft might expose the victim to criminal charges, damaging their reputation.
Stainton outlined the various ways stolen identities are used, which are punishable by the law. The use of falsified documents can negatively harm the lives of the community and lead to criminal charges.
Rise of Crypto Crime in Australia
A review of the court report shows that the criminal was charged with several criminal accounts. The Australian regulators claimed that the suspect violated the anti-money laundering (AML) and terrorism financing requirements.
The suspect was charged with providing falsified information, benefiting from criminal activities, and possessing fake documents. The court demanded the suspect remain behind bars for two years for breaching the Criminal Code and terrorist financing Act.
The suspect was denied parole for the next ten months due to the damages caused by the victims. The AFP encouraged the global law enforcers to collaborate to bring down criminals engaging in identity theft.
The arrest came months after the Australian financial regulators warned the public against fraudulent crypto investment. The regulators claimed that Australia had lost millions of dollars to crypto scammers.
