Stealing From Banks One Cent at a Time 313
JRHelgeson writes "In a story strangely reminiscent of Superman 3, a 'hacker' allegedly stole over $50,000 from PayPal, Google Checkout as well as several unnamed online brokerage firms. When opening an online brokering account it is common practice for companies such as E-trade and Schwab to send a tiny payment — ranging from only a few cents to a couple of dollars — to verify that the user has access to the bank account listed. According to the story, the attacker wrote a script that opened thousands of accounts at dozens of these providers. He was arrested not for taking the money, but for using false names in order to get it."
Comment from said "hacker" (Score:5, Funny)
When reached for comment, the "hacker" had this to say:
PC load letter?! (Score:5, Funny)
You know... (Score:3, Funny)
Well it is true.... (Score:5, Funny)
Relax (Score:3, Funny)
What were the crimes again? (Score:3, Funny)
Balasts (Score:5, Funny)
Whatever you do.... (Score:5, Funny)
It was over... (Score:4, Funny)
Haywood Jablome
Connie Lingus
Dick Trickle
Seymour Butts
Hugh Jass
Ben Dover
Should of used a better name generator.
oh wait.... (Score:5, Funny)
Even if he gets a fine, he can always apply to pay off the debt in small payments - say a few cents every time...
Reminds me of a debt my father picked up from a school my sister attended for less then a week. They charged him for a whole year. Not to be deterred he promptly paid them half the amount they invoiced him for. Months later and six angry letters later he paid them half of the sum they asked for. Months later.. ah well, I am sure you can see the pattern here. Fast forward 14 years and they finally wrote of the rest of his debt (I think 1GPB) as a good will gesture (and I am reliably informed he is legend in the schools finance department). I have no idea how much the administration cost to school at the end of it, but it all seemed good natured enough.
$50,000? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Comment from said "hacker" (Score:5, Funny)
Hey Mike! Watch out for your cornhole buddy!
Re:He stole my idea! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Comment from said "hacker" (Score:5, Funny)
He used a computer.
Heck he even wrote a script. In the eyes of your average Joe that makes him a diabolical hacking genius.
Re:$50,000? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Pound you in the ass prison... (Score:1, Funny)
I wonder (Score:5, Funny)
Re:$50,000? (Score:5, Funny)
I just wanted to add the damn quote already (Score:5, Funny)
Peter: "That virus you're always talking about, right? The one that could, uh, rip off the company for a bunch of money."
Michael: "Yeah, what about it?"
Peter: "Well, how does it work?"
Michael: "It's pretty brilliant. What it does is, every time there's a bank transaction where interest is competed, you know, thousands a day, the computer ends up with these fractions of acent, which it usually rounds off. What this does is, it takes those little remainders and puts it into an account."
Peter: "This sounds familiar."
Michael: "Yeah, they did it in Superman III."
Peter: "Right."
Michael: "Yeah. Underrated movie, actually. And then there were a bunch of hackers, did it in the '70s as well. One of them got busted."
Peter: "Well, so they check for this now."
Michael: "No, here's the thing. Initech's so backed up with all the software we're updating for the year 2000, they'd never notice."
Peter: "You're right. And even if they wanted to, they couldn't check all that code."
Michael: "Thumbs up their asses. Thumbs up their asses."
Re:Comment from said "hacker" (Score:5, Funny)
Re:PC load letter?! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Comment from said "hacker" (Score:5, Funny)
Re:How many bank accounts did he have? (Score:5, Funny)
It sounds like it made a lot of cents.
Well whaddaya know... (Score:5, Funny)
Huh. Learned something new - thanks! I always thought Salami Attack was a bad 80s porn movie...
I could put Strychnine in the Guacamole... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Superman 3? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Superman 3? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:oh wait.... (Score:1, Funny)
In protest, he paid his $500 credit card bill in 50,000 electronic payments of one penny. His next monthly statement is over an inch thick and the bank is very unhappy with the printing & mailing costs
Re:I wonder (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, but he'll be eligible for parole in 78,000.
Re:I've always wondered (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Comment from said "hacker" (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I just wanted to add the damn quote already (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Pound you in the ass prison... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Well whaddaya know... (Score:1, Funny)
"Hacker" not "Cracker"! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Well whaddaya know... (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, but it was better than Superman 3.
Re:Pound you in the ass prison... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Submitter gets it wrong (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Well whaddaya know... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Balasts (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Superman 3? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:He stole my idea! (Score:5, Funny)
Defense attorney: "You had a gun?"
Crook: (sheepishly) "Just a little one."
District attorney: "The term is sawed-off."
Re:How did he do it? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Superman 3? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:PC load letter?! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:oh wait.... (Oblig. XKCD) (Score:2, Funny)
Do you smell that? It's the karma burning.
Re:"Hacker" not "Cracker"! (Score:1, Funny)