Australian government employee faces lawsuit for abusing government IT systems to mine cryptocurrencies

Author: Marie Huillet Translated by: Maya

Rage Review: According to reports, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced on May 21 that an Australian government employee is facing court proceedings for allegedly abusing government IT systems to mine cryptocurrencies for personal gain. The so-called illegal proceeds, namely crypto mining proceeds, are said to amount to 9,000 Australian dollars (about 6,200 US dollars).

An Australian government employee is facing court action for allegedly abusing government IT systems to mine cryptocurrency for personal gain, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced on May 21.

The AFP alleges that the man, 33, whose real name was not disclosed, used his position as an IT specialist to “manipulate a program to exploit the computing power of the agency’s computer network to mine cryptocurrencies.” The alleged illegal proceeds, reportedly amounted to A$9,000 (about $6,200) in crypto mining proceeds.

The man appeared in Sydney District Court after the AFP searched his Sydney home on March 5. They reportedly seized his personal laptop, personal phone, employee ID card and data files. The man faces two charges, including: "unauthorized manipulation of data causing damage, contrary to section 477.2 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) and unauthorized manipulation of restricted data, contrary to section 478.1 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).

In a statement, Chris Goldsmid, head of the Cyber ​​Crime Unit and operations director, stressed the seriousness of alleged criminality by public officials. He noted: "Australian taxpayers place their trust in public officials to perform vital functions for our communities with the utmost integrity. Any suspected criminal conduct where this trust is betrayed for personal gain will be investigated and prosecuted."

The charges carry maximum prison sentences of 10 years and two years respectively, the AFP bulletin said.

As Cointelegraph reported, in the past year alone, police have taken action in Germany, Taiwan, and China against individuals suspected of misappropriating public electricity to mine crypto for personal gain.

In May 2018, Cointelegraph reported that employees at the local headquarters of the Ukrainian National Police in Rivne had allegedly been illegally mining cryptocurrencies as part of their work for four months.

This article only represents the author’s personal views, does not represent the position of Blockchain Pencil, does not constitute investment advice, and the content is for reference only.