PROSECUTORS say members of the gang drove around and scanned the wireless networks of retailers to find security holes, a technique known as 'war driving'.

Once they had identified technical weaknesses in the networks, they used them to install 'sniffer programs', obtained from collaborators overseas.

Those programs then tapped into the networks the retailers used for processing credit cards and intercepted customers' PIN codes and debit and credit card numbers stored there.

The information was then transmitted to computers in the United States, Latvia and Ukraine.

Officials said that the conspirators sold some of the credit card numbers online and imprinted others on the magnetic strips of blank cards so that they could withdraw thousands of dollars from automated teller machines.

NEW YORK TIMES