While most non-essential workers were moping around their homes, a group of kids pulled off the heist of the season.
Over the last month and a half, cars mysteriously disappeared from dealerships across Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Audi, Toyota, and Lexus dealers were all hit. Forty-six cars — totaling $1.1m+ — went MIA.
Late last week, the city found its culprits: A group of kids aged 9 to 16, who had been pilfering cars since March 17. Never mind that almost none of the kids was able to drive without a parent.
This crime spree was a rare exception
Crime is down across the globe, and illegal money is so tight that Brian’s Club — a black market for stolen credit cards — has generously offered “pandemic support” to loyal customers who’ve taken a financial hit.
The pandemic has been especially tough for scammers recruiting money mules — AKA regular people who are enticed to deposit fraudulent checks or ship illegal goods.
Long shipping and banking wait times have stalled the mule biz.
But never fear, scammers are staying optimistic
The research firm Intel 471 said one criminal believes the downturn “will make it easier to recruit low-level accomplices such as money mules.”
And while many professional lawbreakers are scrambling, these are boom times for cybercriminals involved in phishing schemes.
