Japanese teen charged for phishing

TOKYO (AFP) - Japanese police said they had arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of fraud after he allegedly used the Internet to steal personal details in Japan's first case of phishing involving a minor.


The boy allegedly threatened people, mainly young girls, so they would send him naked photos of themselves after he had already obtained their identification details and other personal information, local media said.

Police sent papers to prosecutors charging the boy in the central city of Nagoya after he allegedly stole the IDs of 94 people by creating a website disguised as a popular Internet game site, police said.

He allegedly led them to type in personal information such as their names and e-mail addresses, they said.

The teenager reportedly gained his computer knowledge through the Internet.

Phishing is the name given to fraudulent Internet schemes in which perpetrators steal IDs, passwords and other personal information or send bogus bills in an attempt to swindle money.