In the movie ‘Catch Me If You Can’, DiCaprio played the role of Frank Abagnale, Jr., a real person who was a master of forgery, who was eventually caught but started to assist law enforcement officers to capture criminals like himself. Fast forward to today and we have Joell Ortiz behind the bars who swapped sims, deceived operators and made millions.
History repeats itself.
Just like Frank, Joell also found an easy way to make a fortune by stealing digital identities of others and grabbing their crypto assets. While forging checks are out, swapping sims are in, apparently.
Also very similar to catching DiCaprio’s character, a determined law enforcer was required. In this case, it was Sgt. Samy Tarazi from Santa Clara County Sheriff. Tarazi is a detective for the County-based Regional Enforcement Allied Computer Team (aka REACT).
He had almost no information regarding sim-swapping but had to get up to the speed quite fast on the job.
Joell and his allegeable accomplice Xzavyer Narvaez were taking control of victims’ sim cards. Being able to send and receive messages allowed them to access all assets of the victim.
These kids were living a dream with others’ money, buying supercars, staying in luxurious apartments and boasting about it.
“They were openly talking about it online...They were doing what a 20-year-old would do with millions of dollars in Hollywood,” Tarazi says.
A small mistake and Tarazi was onto the criminal duo. Ortiz is charged with 41 criminal counts. Once Tarazi got Ortiz, his investigation led him to his accomplice and soon Narvaez was also apprehended; he is charged with 7 criminal counts.
Now Tarazi and REACT have this small victory against crypto criminals but it is suspected that they were only the tip of the iceberg.
They are following every lead and going after a bigger, wider organization.