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Latest update: 19/08/2009
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In the French Papers
A daily look at some of the stories in the French papers.
Libération
Albert Gonzalez made a few headlines in the French papers this morning.
The 28 year old American has alledgedly stolen data from more than 130 million credit cards.
He and two Russian accomplices have reportedly carried out the largest hacking and identity-theft in US history.
“Get rich, or die trying”, that was the name of their mission.
They hacked into the computer systems of five major companies, like the supermarket 7-Eleven.
Stole credit card details, and sold the data over the internet.
According to Libération, Gonzalez was already arrested in 2003, for similar charges. But he was released because he denounced his accomplices, to authorities.
Already in jail since last year for another fraud case, Gonzalez risks up to 30 years in jail and a one million dollar fine.
Le Figaro
The story has also made the front page of Le Figaro.
The newspaper explains how such a scenario can be avoided in France.
More than 50,000 credit card frauds are detected in France every year, and that includes the French President.
Nicolas Sarkozy got around 200 euros stolen from his bank account last year.
Le Figaro says the reason why France has so many frauds, is that the French tend to use their credit cards more often than their European counterparts.
For companies and banks, there are a number of computer programs that can detect frauds and find a solution.
The French Government put into place an emergency plan against frauds, in January.
Le Parisien
Two teenagers, including a 17 year old girl tried to rob a bank in Paris yesterday.
Le Parisien explains that young girls are becoming more and more involved in bank robberies.
Girls are reportedly used by slightly older men, usually their friends, to pass the security gates in a bank.
Because they’re young and pretty, they can easily get in and then point a gun at the bank employee.
In five years, the number of young girls taking part in such events has doubled in France, with around 7,000 cases.
L’Humanité
The Franco-Palestinian prisoner has written a letter to L’Humanité.
He wrote it from his prison, in Israel.
At 24 years old, he’s been sentenced to seven years in prison, accused of plotting to kill a prominent Rabi.
He was arrested in 2005, and the French President asked for his release, but the Israeli Government refused last week calling Sarkozy’s demand “insolent”.
In his letter to the French newspaper, Hamouri accuses the Israeli justice to be biased.
He says in Israel, there are two kinds of justices…One for the Israelis,and one for the Palestinians.
L’Humanité
Some 5,000 children got spend a day at the beach, in Normandy for free.
L’Humanité interviewed some poor French families, who say they felt releaved. They’ve been hard hit by the economic crisis they say, and the French charity Secours Populaire has offered to take their kids away for a holiday.
For some, it was the first time they had seen the sea.
The French charity has been doing this for thirty years now. In France, one child out of three doesn’t get to go on holiday.
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