Seven arrests in Aussie credit card scam

SYDNEY - Seven people have been arrested in Sydney and Melbourne over a scam involving the manufacture and distribution of more than 200 fraudulent credit cards a week.

The cards were allegedly used to purchase about A$500,000 ($641,190) worth of items every week, including electronic goods, gift cards and phone cards.

On Wednesday police from the Identity Security Strike Team (ISST), which includes officers from the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police Force, Australian Crime Commission, NSW Crime Commission and Department of Immigration and Citizenship, arrested five men in Sydney over the A$6 million fraud.

A man and a woman were arrested in Melbourne, also on Wednesday.

Police allege a 53-year-old man from Homebush, in Sydney's west, received credit card details from overseas and forwarded them to a 35-year-old man in the eastern Sydney suburb of Potts Point.

The Potts Point man allegedly used the data to produce fake credit cards and identity documents, and gave them back to the Homebush man.

He in turn allegedly distributed the credit cards and other documents to "supervisors", who passed them on to "shoppers".

The "shoppers" were allegedly told what to purchase with the cards, and received a percentage of the value of the items purchased.

The items included electronic goods, gift cards, phone cards, alcohol and stamps.

The ISST says more than 1200 credit card numbers have been involved in the scam since March 2009.

Those arrested have been charged with a number of commonwealth and NSW offences, including dishonesty in dealing in financial information, dealing in the proceeds of crime, participating in a criminal group, and making and using false instruments.

Those charged in Sydney are due to appear at Sydney Central Local Court on Thursday.

A man charged in Melbourne has been remanded in custody to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 10.

Police are seeking the extradition of the Melbourne woman to NSW.

- AAP