A technician from the Institute of Financial Management and Justice Equipment was arrested on Tuesday in Lisbon on suspicion of qualified computer fraud crimes as part of an investigation led by the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action.
In a note on its website, the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP) said that as part of the investigation, house and non-house searches were carried out on Tuesday with the aim of gathering evidence.
The searches took place at the residence and workplace of the detainee, a computer technician, at the Institute for Financial Management and Justice Equipment, I.P. (IGFEJ), in Lisbon.
According to DCIAP, from the middle of last year, the man used usernames and passwords of employees of the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) to which he had access, to access the internal computer system of the Citizen Card Life Cycle and change the cell phone number associated with other citizens’ digital mobile keys.
The detainee, without the knowledge of the citizens, “used digital mobile keys to electronically authenticate himself with various public and private entities, open bank accounts and take out financial loans, always in the name of the victims, to their detriment and that of the lending institutions”.
“It has thus obtained patrimonial benefits that have not yet been concretely ascertained,” the note states.
At issue are facts that could constitute crimes of abuse of power, qualified computer fraud, computer falsehood and illegitimate access.
The detainee will be brought before the investigating judge for the application of coercive measures.
The note also states that the process began with a complaint lodged by the Agency for Administrative Modernization, the IRN and the IGFEJ.
In this investigation, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is assisted by the Judicial Police.
