Recently, the media announced that a Russian website has posted personal or credit information on numerous celebrities and public figures, including Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, FBI Director Robert Mueller, Beyonce and Jay-Z, Mel Gibson, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Kim Kardashian.
According to USA Today and CNN, some information refers to personal data like home addresses or credit history while for others, it also includes even more detailed information, such as Social Security numbers.
In this case, the FBI is investigating how Mueller’s Social Security number, address and credit report ended up on the site. The U.S. Secret Service is also involved in the investigation, focusing on financial and computer crimes and fraud.
What you need to remember related to this case is that, if the people behind the website accessed private sites to obtain the information, it would violate the law. For example, if the credit reports are real, accessing those would be a criminal offense.
Especially in a world where cybercrimes are increasing, it is easy not only to fall prey to this type of criminals but also to be involved in such a situation. For example, Army Gen. Keith Alexander, the head of the military’s cybercommand, notes that only on Wall Street there have been 140 attacks during the past six months.
If you believe that your financial and personal information has been hacked, make sure you announce the authorities as soon as possible. However, if one way or another you got involved in a criminal situation like this, make sure you hire a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.
As you can see, authorities are very serious regarding financial and computer crimes, and the punishment for this type of criminal activities can include serious jail time. An experienced and specialized criminal defense lawyer can provide you a high-quality defense and ensure you benefit of a fair legal treatment.