An Israeli private investigator could spend the next 27 years in prison after pleading guilty to taking part in an international fraud and hacking conspiracy.
Aviram Azari was arrested in Manhattan, New York, in 2019 and charged with conspiracy to commit computer hacking, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud.
The 50-year-old private detective, who served in a covert surveillance unit of the Israeli police in the 1990s, was accused of working with co-conspirators in India from 2014 to 2019 to steal the credentials of victims around the world.
Under the scheme, an Indian-based company presenting itself as an ethical hacking service provider sent phishing emails to thousands of victims, many contesting an advocacy issue, legal proceeding or business deal when targeted.
Victims included government officials, pharmaceutical companies, law firms, hedge funds, banks, nonprofits, journalists, groups campaigning against climate change and unhappily married people negotiating their divorce.
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