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11:37, 16-Dec-2017
US woman charged with using Bitcoin to finance ISIL
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US prosecutors have charged a New York woman with using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to send funds to ISIL.
Zoobia Shahnaz, 27, was arrested at her Long Island home on Thursday for sending over 150,000 US dollars through shell accounts in China, Pakistan and Turkey to benefit ISIL extremists.
Much of the money came from bank loans and credit cards, the US Justice Department said.
With that, she bought 62,000 US dollars worth of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which can offer owners anonymity in transfers and payments.
After making the transfers, Shahnaz tried to travel to Syria, prosecutors alleged.
She booked a flight to Pakistan that included a layover in Istanbul, which they called "a common point of entry for individuals travelling from Western countries to join ISIL in Syria."
Shahnaz was charged with five counts of bank fraud and money laundering, but not for supporting a designated terrorist organization, the usual charge for people helping or planning to help ISIL.
Source(s): AFP