Anton Gelonkin
Encyclopedia
Anton Gelonkin was a Russia
n bank chairman who disappeared during the 1995 collapse of the Moscow City Bank and later convicted of running an international organised internet based fraud in 2006.
Notting Hill
, London
that defrauded American, British and Spanish bank account holders, and "systematically defrauded clearing banks and other financial institutions in Britain and abroad" and ran undetected for ten years.
The gang used compromised credit card
s to first buy electrical goods, which they had delivered to a double layer of mailbox addresses - to reduce the connection between the fraudsters and the goods - and then later sold them on eBay
both inside and outside the UK. Other activities involved: using stolen card details to set up online gambling
accounts and diverting the winnings; and directing stolen money to hundreds of bank accounts.
In late 2004 police had raided the gang's presence in Barcelona
, arresting Andreas Fuhrmann and issuing an Interpol
international arrest warrant for Anthony Peyton (alias Gelonkin).
In January 2005 police were called to a burglary associated with the gang's headquarters, and noted the name Gelonkin, and later discovered the Interpol warrant. This resulted in a raid which resulted in the arrest of Estonian Aleksei Kostap, but not before Kostap was able to trigger a system that encrypted the records held on the gang's computers. Despite police IT expert efforts the data has not been decrypted. Kostav was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud and perverting the course of justice
. Another gang member, Lithuanian Romanos Vasilauskas, admitted possessing false passports with intent and sentenced to eighteen months. Anton Gelonkin, 'admitted conspiracies to defraud, to obtain services by deception, to acquire, use and possess criminal property, and to remove it "from the jurisdiction"' and was sentenced for six years.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n bank chairman who disappeared during the 1995 collapse of the Moscow City Bank and later convicted of running an international organised internet based fraud in 2006.
Moscow City Bank
Anton Dolgov was the chairman of the Moskovsky Gorodskoi Bank, or Moscow City Bank, and in late August 1995 disappeared after taking an unknown amount of money. The bank later collapsed with debts of 120 million US dollars.Identity theft racket
British police believe that from 1996 Anton then ran an organised international operation based inNotting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
that defrauded American, British and Spanish bank account holders, and "systematically defrauded clearing banks and other financial institutions in Britain and abroad" and ran undetected for ten years.
The gang used compromised credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
s to first buy electrical goods, which they had delivered to a double layer of mailbox addresses - to reduce the connection between the fraudsters and the goods - and then later sold them on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
both inside and outside the UK. Other activities involved: using stolen card details to set up online gambling
Online gambling
Online gambling, also known as Internet gambling and iGambling, is a general term for gambling using the Internet.-Online poker:Online poker tables commonly offer Texas hold 'em, Omaha, Seven-card stud, razz, HORSE and other game types in both tournament and ring game structures...
accounts and diverting the winnings; and directing stolen money to hundreds of bank accounts.
In late 2004 police had raided the gang's presence in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, arresting Andreas Fuhrmann and issuing an Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
international arrest warrant for Anthony Peyton (alias Gelonkin).
In January 2005 police were called to a burglary associated with the gang's headquarters, and noted the name Gelonkin, and later discovered the Interpol warrant. This resulted in a raid which resulted in the arrest of Estonian Aleksei Kostap, but not before Kostap was able to trigger a system that encrypted the records held on the gang's computers. Despite police IT expert efforts the data has not been decrypted. Kostav was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud and perverting the course of justice
Perverting the course of justice
Perverting the course of justice, in English, Canadian , and Irish law, is a criminal offence in which someone prevents justice from being served on himself or on another party...
. Another gang member, Lithuanian Romanos Vasilauskas, admitted possessing false passports with intent and sentenced to eighteen months. Anton Gelonkin, 'admitted conspiracies to defraud, to obtain services by deception, to acquire, use and possess criminal property, and to remove it "from the jurisdiction"' and was sentenced for six years.