Music Gang Busted in iTunes Royalties Scam

A group of ten British DJs have been arrested for allegedly using stolen credit cards to download their own music from iTunes and Amazon, the Times of London reports. The gang is believed to have made $300,000 in royalties from the $750,000 they spent buying 19 compilations they recorded, which shot up the charts because of the fraudulent purchases.

Police believe the suspects obtained 1500 stolen or cloned cards and painstakingly opened iTunes accounts for each one to make the purchases. The amount of sales is thought to have caught the interest of music company bosses. The group, caught after a joint investigation by the FBI and British police, has been charged with suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. (More iTunes stories.)