America Online Stops Service in Russia

America Online Inc. has shut down its connections in Russia because of credit card fraud and fraudulent use of passwords, affecting about 2,000 customers. An unidentified number of AOL accounts were opened using fake or stolen credit cards that let thieves use the No. 1 online service without paying, the Vienna, Va.-based company said. AOL charged customers who used the special Russian access phone lines $34 an hour on top of regular monthly charges. AOL said it closed the lines Dec. 14 after it noticed unusually heavy usage beginning in December. The lines are designed to let customers connect to the service in about 40 Russian cities, although AOL doesn’t market the service there. AOL said it doesn’t know when it will again offer service to customers in Russia.