Cybercrime Cell Busted After Stealing 45 Million Dollars

[webfact]

Cybercrime cell busted after stealing 45 million dollars

New York - Eight people were charged in New York Thursday for being part of a global cybercrime ring that allegedly stole altogether 45 million dollars by hacking into debit card accounts and withdrawing money from ATMs worldwide.

The eight men who were indicted, one of whom was killed in the Dominican Republic two weeks ago, are charged with stealing around 2.8 million dollars in a matter of hours in New York City, justice officials said.

The New York cell was allegedly part of a global ring that hacked into prepaid bank accounts worldwide to eliminate limits on cash withdrawal and used ATMs in 24 countries to withdraw about 40 million dollars within 10 hours in late February.

"The defendants and their co-conspirators participated in a massive 21st-century bank heist that reached across the Internet and stretched around the globe," said Loretta Lynch, a US district attorney." In the place of guns and masks, this cybercrime organization used laptops and the Internet."


-- The Nation 2013-05-10

[laislica]

The New York cell was allegedly part of a global ring that hacked into prepaid bank accounts worldwide to eliminate limits on cash withdrawal and used ATMs in 24 countries to withdraw about 40 million dollars within 10 hours in late February.

The mind boggles at how they could keep a crime like that secret when there so many people involved.

What fantastic organisation.

[Locationthailand]

Nothing is safe - may have to invest in a thicker mattress.

[bkk_mike]

The New York cell was allegedly part of a global ring that hacked into prepaid bank accounts worldwide to eliminate limits on cash withdrawal and used ATMs in 24 countries to withdraw about 40 million dollars within 10 hours in late February.

The mind boggles at how they could keep a crime like that secret when there so many people involved.

What fantastic organisation.

The mind boggles at how they THOUGHT they could keep a crime like that secret when there so many people involved.

They obviously failed to keep it a secret as they've been caught...

[HUAHIN62]

Had a member on here in the week complaining that he is missing B 150 k wonder if he was hit by this group.

[Mudcrab]

The eight men who were indicted, one of whom was killed in the Dominican Republic two weeks ago, are charged with stealing around 2.8 million dollars in a matter of hours in New York City, justice officials said.

guess old mate in the Dominican Republic won't be looking at any serious time.

[vijer]

Good work catching these guys in 3 months time.

[leeroy221]

How th hell do they do it?

It just baffles me why they get so greedy, get an amount u would live a life of luxury on and be done with it

[leeroy221]

How th hell do they do it?

It just baffles me why they get so greedy, get an amount u would live a life of luxury on and be done with it

[julemanden]

Nothing is safe - may have to invest in a thicker mattress.

Or condoms?

[impulse]

I read more on the story in other sources and it's fascinating (or maybe I have a low threshold for "fascinating, ie, I'm a nerd).

Part of the crime was hacking into the accounts, getting account information, increasing the daily withdrawal limits and (I think) increasing the amounts in the accounts.

Part of the crime was then creating fake debit cards in locations around the world that accessed those accounts.

Then they sent people out with those fake debit cards to withdraw cash from hundreds or thousands of ATMs all over the world.

It seemed to have required excellent coordination between a lot of people in quite a few countries.

And here, I thought it was just some computer guys hacking into the accounts. With all the participants, it seems like they had to go big just to have enough to spread around.

Google "prepaid debit cards" and you should find a lot of current stories about the risks they present, highlighted by this case.

Edited May 11, 2013 by impulse