Operation Cybersnare was a

United States Secret Service The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...

operation in 1995 targeted at computer hackers. In January 1995, the Secret Service set up an undercover bulletin board system in Bergen County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. This was the first undercover Internet sting of its kind. With the help of an undercover informant, they advertised the bulletin board across the Internet. The topics for discussion were cellular telephone cloning and computer hacking. In September, twelve raids across the country resulted in the arrest of six hackers. From the press release, those arrested were: *Richard Lacap, of

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, who used the computer alias of "Chillin" and Kevin Watkins, of Houston, Texas, who used the computer alias of "Led". Lacap and Watkins were charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to break into the computer system of an Oregon Cellular Telephone company. *Jeremy Cushing, of

Huntington Beach Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 duri ...

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, who used the computer alias of "Alpha Bits", was charged with trafficking in cloned cellular telephone equipment and stolen access devices used to program cellular telephones. *Frank Natoli, of

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, New York, used the computer alias of "Mmind". He was charged with trafficking in stolen access devices used to program cellular telephones. *Al Bradford, of

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, who used the computer alias of "Cellfone", was charged with trafficking in unauthorized access devices used to program cellular telephones. *Michael Clarkson, of Brooklyn, New York, who used the computer alias of "Barcode", was charged with possessing and trafficking in hardware used to obtain unauthorized access to telecommunications services.

Sources

* PMF, ''A British Hacker in America'' * Jeffrey Gold
"Internet Sting Operation Nets Six Attempting to Sell Stolen Data"
''Associated Press'', 11 September 1995 * Geoff Boucher
"Computer Hacker Snared in Cyber-Sting : Technology: Huntington Beach man is one of six arrested in alleged plot to steal credit card and cellular phone codes."
''Los Angeles Times'', 12 September 1995 * Geoff Boucher
"On-Line Sting Just the Beginning, Says Cyber-Sleuth Squad"
''Los Angeles Times'', 13 September 1995 * Clifford J. Levy

''New York Times'', 12 September 1995 * Reily Gregson
"SECRET SERVICE ATTACKS CELLULAR FRAUD AT SOURCE, STOPS COMPUTER HACKERS"
''RCR Wireless'', 18 September 1995 * CTIA press release
"Wireless Industry Salutes U.S. Secret Service"
11 September 1995. (Archived) {{Hacking in the 1990s Cybercrime Hacking (computer security)