Mob-Busting Tool Used Against Online Crime

Federal prosecutors are using mob-busting tactics to catch and disrupt online crooks, applying a law written to dismantle Mafia families to pursue loose affiliations of thieves scattered around the world.

The capacity of hackers and thieves to steal millions of dollars -- in part through online marketplaces on which they can trade stolen credit-card numbers -- is prompting concern among prosecutors. Law-enforcement officials worry these virtual networks pose a greater threat than many other criminal enterprises because they transcend international borders and can hatch far larger thefts. In the first prosecution of its kind, the Justice Department is arguing the individuals using a website to buy and sell stolen credit-card numbers broke the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The RICO law, originally used to bring down crime families, is now being utilized against hackers who in many cases have never met and don't know each other's real names.