Last year in the Bay area the Russian mob was able to steal 200,000 credit card and bank card ID’s …
Summary: The FBI investigatation of bank fraud leads to the Russian mafia and threats against the Eppes family.
Original air date: May 5, 2006 (US)
Written by: Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci
Directed by: Bill Eagles
Opening numbers:
574 million: Credit card accounts
500 million: Dollars stolen annually
16: Digits
2: Phishers
Family Concepts (character development):
- According to Charlie, Larry is geographically challenged, not knowing where his string theory conference is taking place.
- Alan is an ex-smoker
- Nicolas Falacci has a cameo in this episode as one of the Russians in Charlie’s class
- Amita: I’m all for giving up wealth and material possessions.
Charlie: Living like a monk?
Amita: No, a grad student. - Colby: He [David] says to tell you he wants back ASAP and no I can’t have his desk.
- Megan [to Don]: I really can’t take you looking at your watch any more.
Two phishers are caught red-handed hacking into a bank system; when they are questioned the FBI discovers they are working for a Yuri Koverchenko a leader in the Russian Mafia. That night Don finds out that his bank accounts have been cleaned out and credit cards refused.
The next day Don and Megan are investigating the theft with Pacific Mutual security when Megan finds out that Don’s two suspects in the phishing case have been released on bail and then found dead. Looking into the bail further reveals someone used an anagram of Don’s name and one of his now cancelled credit cards to post bail; for some reason the Russian mob has named the case a personal vendetta against Don.
Using a backscatter program, Charlie and Amita figure out where the computer that hacked Don’s accounts is and the FBI sends in a team to make arrests. Instead the area is wired with a bomb and the mob ambushes Don’s team, including shooting David in the shoulder. David’s injury isn’t bad (and Colby won’t be getting his desk), but Lt Walker points out to Don that the mob is making a point that they can do whatever they like and will hurt whoever they choose. After two members of the mob sit in during one of Charlie’s classes, Don fearing for Charlie’s safety pulls him from the case.
Charlie however, can’t not think about the case and with the FBI at the house for security, including David who has been released from the hospital, he continues working on his theories. Charlie figures out that the attacks against Don are really a diversion from the initial phishing case, and calls Lt Walker with his information. Don is not happy that Charlie continued with the case but does listen to what he says and he and Megan go back to Pacific Mutual to ask more questions.
Don and Megan discover that two employees of the bank have been taken hostage to make sure the security manager does what the mob wants; in this case allow someone into the secure area to hack the bank’s system for ATM information. The FBI sets up a sting with the manager’s help to catch both the computer hacker in the bank and eventually Yuri and his group as well.