Latvian-Georgian trio detained for stealing $450,000 USD in online fraud

Two Latvian citizens and one Georgian citizen have been detained in Georgia for allegedly stealing almost $450,000 USD from an American company by hacking into the company’s computer system.

Today the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia announced three people had been detained for illegally obtaining a large amount of money by deceit.

The Office named Vladislavs  Borisovs and Evgenis Kalnmalis of Latvia and David Gagnidze of Georgia as the offenders.

The Office claimed the trio illegally appropriated $449,994 USD from an American-owned company.

It is alleged the three men established a fake company in Georgia with the name ‘GeorgiaFruit’. The company was created earlier this year. 

Once the new business was registered, the men used the internet to hack into the computer network and email of the American company, and transferred $449,994 from the business into a ‘GeorgiaFruit’ bank account.

The transfer was made six days ago, on April 20, 2016.

Georgia’s law enforcers arrested the three men when they tried to withdraw the money from a commercial bank in Georgia. They were immediately sentenced to pre-trial detention.

If found guilty the men face six to nine years behind bars.