Let's take a look:

18 people have been charged. New Jersey federal prosecutors call it one of the largest credit card fraud schemes ever uncovered. This thing covered 28 states and eight countries. The F.B.I. calls it a massive international fraud enterprise.

This apparently was well organized and involved false ID's, fraudulent identification documents, doctored credit reports and more than 200-million-dollars in confirmed losses.

It may not have been as easy as 1,2,3 but here's how authorities say it worked. The bad guys created thousands of fake ID's, they inflated the credit reports of these phoney people and then hit the town making all sorts of charges.

The final confirmed losses may grow a lot because they're still adding it all up. There were at least 25 fake cards involved. Clothing, spa treatments, expensive vehicles, millions in gold and electronics were just some of the things purchased.

Apparently no individuals were harmed in this scheme because they didn't steal credit cards from anyone. Instead credit card issuers and those affected by higher interest rates and fees were the ones hurt this time around.

No word on where they're from but the ringleaders have Middle Eastern sounding names.

Conclusion: Fiction