He made his living from identity theft and credit card fraud and was considered the first “internet godfather”. Then Brett Johnson was arrested – and reformed. The American has become a much sought-after cybercrime expert and as such shows how users can best protect themselves against people like him.
Between 2002 and 2004, Johnson was an administrator involved in setting up and running ShadowCrew, one of the first cybercrime forums and thus the precursor to today’s underground forums and dark web marketplaces. Caught in early 2005, he got a job as an informant for the Secret Service and as such continued to commit crimes, initially undetected by US law enforcement. When discovered, he fled and entered the FBI’s Most Wanted List before being sentenced in August 2006 to seven and a half years in prison for a total of 39 different offenses.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
