Hackers Steal $9-Million From ATMs, 'Ocean's 11'-Style
According to Network World, these cyber criminals are more cat burglar than catatonic, having composed an attack plan worthy of a Hollywood screenplay.
In the first stage of their attack, the thieves hacked into electronic payment processing service RBS WorldPay, where they obtained the information contained in 100 units of the company's "payroll card," a sort of debit card where cash is directly "loaded" by an employer. Having accessed those 100 cards, the hackers then performed another hack, allowing them to "load" imaginary money onto the cards. With all that information, and money in the bank, the hackers simply made physical copies of those cards, most likely using one of the several legal, relatively cheap card printing machines.
Now, with cards in hand, the hackers recruited dozens of men to actually withdraw money from the ATMs. Having been briefed, those men (called "cashers") took to the streets of 49 cities around the world, where they hit up a total of 130 ATMs. All 130 of them -- from Atlanta to Moscow, New York to Hong Kong -- were hit in less than a half hour. The damages are estimated to be over $9 million, according to Heary.
At present, the FBI has not taken any suspects, only having posted images of these two suspected Atlanta cashers.
And the masterminds? We imagine they're all relaxing on a foreign beach, leisurely discussing what to do with the estimated 1.1 million Social Security numbers they retrieved from RBS WorldPay. Check out some other big tech-related heists in the gallery below. [From: Network World]
Weirdest Techie Heists and Scams
Elderly Amish Man Caught on Film With Prostitute, Blackmailed
When a 75-year-old Amish widower slept with a prostitute, he -- we feel certain -- felt pretty bad about it the next morning. As if that guilt weren't enough for the old man, the prostitute and her boyfriend demanded $67,000 from him, claiming that they had filmed the scene with wall-mounted cameras and would upload the recording to the Internet. The pair was later arrested and, we can only imagine, the Amish man abhorred technology more than ever.
Bank Robber Gets Away With the Help of Craiglist
In October, a bank robber -- wearing a safety vest, blue shirt, face mask and goggles -- eluded police with the help of Craiglist. Just outside the bank, while the robbery was in progress, stood a group of men who were responding to a Craiglist day labor opportunity. As the advertisement required, they were all wearing safety vests, blue shirts, face masks and goggles.
Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message
Late in 2007, a Wellington, New Zealand man received a racy text message from two anonymous "ladies," giving him only an address and a request that he show up naked. Well, he indeed showed up naked... at the home of one appalled, unsuspecting New Zealander. Both the nude Romeo and the sadistic texter were arrested, though neither were prosecuted.
Fake Craiglist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
Last Spring, a post appeared on an Oregon Craigslist board stating that the owner of a specific house was leaving all of his worldly possessions (still in said house) to whoever wanted them. When homeowner Robert Salisbury rushed home -- on a tip from a woman suspicious about the offer of a free horse -- he found his house being ransacked by 30 strangers. We suggest he take that horse and collect some vengeance Clint Eastwood-style.
17-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Virtual 'Furniture'
When a 17-year-old Dutch boy hacked into several accounts on the Second Life-style site 'Habbo' in 2007, the the law got involved. The boy was discovered to have stolen $5,800 worth of virtual furniture and knick-knacks. Apparently, crime -- whether actual or virtual -- does not pay.
Phishers Going After Your Phones in New 'Vishing' Trend
Over the past year, sneaky spammers have begun to forsake the worn-out territory of e-mail in favor of cell phones' fertile frontier. The result? "Vishing." Get it? Voice mail + phishing. It might be more ominous if it didn't sound like a James Bond villain saying, "Wishing."
Burglars Break Into Restaurant, Steal HDTV, Leave Money / Food Behind
Around Halloween of last year, a truckload of thieves drove into -- that's right, into -- a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant, where they -- apparently uninterested in the cash register -- stole a mid-grade 47-inch HDTV and fled the scene. We've all heard about how this generation is lacking in ambition, but this generation's thieves, too?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Wes said 5:36PM on 2-11-2009
Wait a minute..... $9,000,000/130 ATM's would mean about $70,000 per ATM.....
There's no way a regular ATM holds $70,000, right?
Alot of ATM's only hold $20 bills, so you'd have to walk out of the store with 3500 $20 bills....
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MadMike said 6:13PM on 2-11-2009
Actually some larger bank ATM's hold upwards of $40,000 each. A regular run of the mill store run one, will probably only carry a max of $20,000.
However, most ATMs have dispense limits of $500 to $1000 to stop fraud/theft.
I think that $9MM number is weighted for the cost of the electronic breach. The probably at most only got $130,000.00 in actual cash.
mirilene said 6:40PM on 2-11-2009
thats a lot of risk and people involved for just 130k isnt it?
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Jagman said 6:54PM on 2-11-2009
Just wait till they get into the big online payroll companies....Not only will they have your payroll info, but they will have your employers account info and you might be out of a job...........
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Bilberry said 8:03AM on 2-12-2009
Until access to the internet becomes controlled and limited, this kind activity will continue. I have spoken on this subject for years. Each computer should have an unremovable and unchangeable chip which is tied directly to an owner who also has to be approved and authorized to have access.
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blueball said 8:59AM on 2-12-2009
Yeah, and we should all have to report movement across state lines.
Tina said 9:34AM on 2-12-2009
First of all the big flaw in your plan is the fact that it is a violation of civil rights we do not live in a communist country! We also have a right to privacy!! Your idea is stupid I agree there are people out there who abuse the internet BUT you get that everywhere. It is an inate human flaw that make people abuse any power in their hands! Look at coorporate coruption! We are a corupt society!
hackerhatin said 12:31PM on 2-12-2009
No matter what happens anyone who wants something that bad will indeed find a way to what they want.
The only logical solution here is to announce overnight all money on the entire earth is worthless and everyone work for free. 50%chance total utopia 50% chance total and utter chaos. I say let's do it and who ever survives the chaos really deserves to be here. This will also help population control..because we are running out of room people..and if theres utopia;great..just make everything free, if everything is free there is no rush to completely consume it because it will always be there..this will kill a lot of jobs but open up more as well.
Me said 12:46PM on 2-12-2009
Sounds like communism to me, Whats your next idea we all have chips implanted so the Gov can know where we are at any given time?
Bill Sidberry said 2:14PM on 2-12-2009
The government already knows where we are now and what is wrong with that? If you have a birth certificate and a Social Security number then your life is exposed. The time is passed due to get a handle on the theives and criminal who are using the internet for thief and fraudulency.
Scharabo said 8:35AM on 2-12-2009
I agree with Wes. I don't see how as much as $9M was taken from just 130 ATMs. You would have to assume each was loaded with an average of $70,000 and the user drained every bit of cash out of them - even using multiple cards. And all within one-half hour.
(When ATVs were first introduced to convenience stores there were a rash of 'snatch and goes'. Theives would back a vehicle through a window, wrap a chain around the ATM, snatch it out of the store, load and drive-off, all within about 60 seconds.)
I just get the impression this may be an urban myth starting.
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Roy said 9:16AM on 2-12-2009
No, it's true. I got a letter from RBS when it happened.
macdaddy said 9:48AM on 2-12-2009
Thats OK we will bail the banks out of this also !
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macdaddy said 9:59AM on 2-12-2009
Thats Obama at the ATM ! getting HIS SPREAD ! Yes he can lol !
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sixpackdan said 10:20AM on 2-12-2009
On the ATMs i worked on with 10s and 20s there was 20k in the 10s and 40k in 20s for a total of 60k.
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whatever said 11:15AM on 2-12-2009
It was obamass and Geithner........
yeah.... uuuuhhh huuuuuhhhhhh
Yes they can........and they did............
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BIRD said 12:03PM on 2-12-2009
SOME ATM'S HOLD'S UP TO 500,000 DEPENDING ON WHERE IT'S LOCATED AN ATM LOCATED AT A BANK HOLDS NO LESS THAN 200,000 THOSE ARE SOME CRAFTY CROOKS
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Me said 12:45PM on 2-12-2009
I knew from yor schpeil you had to work for some company seling something.
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timbo said 1:43PM on 2-12-2009
hackerhatin @ Feb 12th 2009 12:31PM: The only logical solution here is to announce overnight all money on the entire earth is worthless.....I say let's do it and who ever survives the chaos really deserves to be here. This will also help population control..because we are running out of room people..and if theres utopia;great..just make everything free, if everything is free there is no rush to completely consume it because it will always be there..this will kill a lot of jobs but open up more as well--------------> sounds like some nut case would think of such BS!
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Timbo said 1:53PM on 2-12-2009
......sounds like genocide to me, which is what Hitler, Saddam, and other evil people have done in the past!