Romanian Phishing Scandal: HMRC's Million-Pound Heist

Thirteen individuals have been taken into custody by Romanian authorities after a series of phishing attacks targeting the UK's tax authority, HMRC, allegedly led to the illicit collection of millions in tax payments. HMRC announced the arrests on Thursday, highlighting coordinated efforts with over 100 Romanian police officers in Ilfov, Giurgiu, and Calarasi counties.

Reports indicate that police confiscated cash and luxurious vehicles during these operations. The suspects, aged between 23 and 53, face charges related to computer fraud, money laundering, and unauthorized computer system access. An additional suspect, a 38-year-old man, was detained in Preston, northwest England earlier in the day.

The crackdown comes in the wake of HMRC's previous disclosure that a criminal network illicitly obtained £47 million by phishing more than 100,000 customer accounts. Efforts form a broader investigation into such schemes, where deceptive emails trick victims into divulging sensitive information.

(With inputs from agencies.)