Cyber Risks · Krebs on Security

Tech CEO Pleads to Wire Fraud in IP Address Scheme

Summary: Micfo LLC CEO Amir Golestan pleaded guilty to 20 counts of wire fraud on Nov. 16, two days into his trial, after ARIN moved in 2018 to revoke 735,000 IP addresses the company obtained under false pretenses. Prosecutors said Golestan ran a network of shell companies and fake identities, with notarized affidavits in the names of people who did not exist, to keep ARIN from knowing the addresses went to one buyer.

What's compelling: A single IPv4 address fetched $15 to $25 on the open market at the time of the dispute, and a conviction on one wire fraud count carries up to 20 years in prison - the price signal that made 735,000 addresses worth lying to a registry for.

Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗

Topics
Data Breaches
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