A Ukrainian national has been extradited from Germany to the United States to face federal charges in the Western District of North Carolina for his alleged involvement in an international “carding” scheme that resulted in over $1.8 million in fraudulent credit and debit card charges.
The announcement was made by Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, alongside Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Charlotte Division.
Viacheslav Alexandrovich Basovych, 49, was arrested in Germany on December 19, 2023, and extradited to the U.S. on August 8, 2024. He is facing charges of wire fraud conspiracy, access device fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment against him was unsealed in federal court in Charlotte following his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge W. Carleton Metcalf.
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According to the indictment, Basovych was part of a conspiracy that ran from October 2013 to February 2022, engaging in “carding” activities. “Carding” involves the theft and misuse of personal identifiable information (PII) and financial data, such as credit card and bank card details, to make unauthorized purchases or obtain services without the victims’ consent.
Basovych and his co-conspirators allegedly used stolen PII and payment card information to conduct unauthorized transactions through merchant accounts linked to Basovych. These fraudulent charges, typically between $7 and $15, were designed to fly under the radar of detection. The scheme is said to have resulted in over 148,000 fraudulent transactions, totaling more than $1.8 million. Specifically, more than 5,100 fraudulent transactions involved payment cards from victims in Charlotte. The indictment further alleges that Basovych and his associates used a network of money mules to launder the proceeds and avoid detection.
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“Greed knows no bounds, but justice has no borders,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Today’s charges are the result of a coordinated effort with our law enforcement partners to track down and bring to justice cybercriminals who exploit stolen identities and financial information for personal gain, regardless of where they operate.”
“The world today doesn’t permit us to physically lock our identities away in a safe. Unfortunately, this vulnerability has given cybercriminals the opportunity to exploit and profit from stolen identities. The FBI is committed to ensuring that international cybercriminals do not operate with impunity,” added Special Agent in Charge DeWitt.
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Following his initial court appearance, Basovych was placed in federal custody. If convicted, the charges of wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while the access device fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
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