More than 100 charged in Internet fraud scheme

WASHINGTON – In a joint U.S.-Romanian probe of Internet fraud, authorities have conducted over 110 house searches in that country, the latest move in an investigation that has charged more than 100 alleged cyber criminals since last year.

According to court documents, many of the defendants in Romania offered cars, motorcycles and boats for sale on Internet auction and online websites, along with instructions to wire money to escrow agents who were actually participants in the fraud scheme in the United States.

The court documents say that conspirators in the U.S. — called arrows — would obtain the funds and transmit the buyers' money overseas.

Thursday's searches targeted more than 100 people in nine Romanian cities. The U.S. Justice Department says that 21 people have been charged in the U.S.