Flash Mob Steals $9 Million From ATMs 232
Mike writes "A global flash mob of ATM thieves netted $9 million in fraud against ATMs in 49 cities around the world. The computer system for a company called RBS WorldPay was hacked. One service of the company is the ability for employers to pay employees with the money going directly to a debit card that can be used in any ATM. The hacker was able to infiltrate the supposedly secure system and steal the information necessary to duplicate or clone people's ATM cards. Shortly after midnight Eastern Time on November 8, the FBI believes that dozens of the so-called cashers were used in a coordinated attack on ATMs around the world. Over 130 different ATMs in 49 cities worldwide were accessed in a 30-minute period on November 8. 'We've never seen one this well coordinated,' the FBI said. So far, the FBI has no suspects and has made no arrests (PDF) in this scam."
And the money went where? (Score:5, Insightful)
How's this a flash mob? (Score:5, Insightful)
$9 Million? (Score:4, Insightful)
$9 Million stolen from a bank? Peanuts compared to the next $900 Billion the banks are stealing back again - a hundred thousand times more.... I can't even get to grips with that scale of money....
Re:How's this a flash mob? (Score:3, Insightful)
The world is a single place, it just depends what kind of scale you're on.
This doesn't sound right (Score:4, Insightful)
The article says over $9,000,000 was stolen using only 100 cards in 49 cities in a 30 minute period. That, boys and girls, is $90,000 per card. The article says the limits on the cards were overridden, using them to make withdrawals in multiple increments of $500 or so. $90,000 / $500 is 180 withdrawals in a 30 minute period, or 6 withdrawals per minute.
This article doesn't pass the basic sniff test. It reeks of either disinformation or seriously bad math.
Re:This doesn't sound right (Score:5, Insightful)
The article says over $9,000,000 was stolen using only 100 cards in 49 cities in a 30 minute period. That, boys and girls, is $90,000 per card. The article says the limits on the cards were overridden, using them to make withdrawals in multiple increments of $500 or so. $90,000 / $500 is 180 withdrawals in a 30 minute period, or 6 withdrawals per minute.
This article doesn't pass the basic sniff test. It reeks of either disinformation or seriously bad math.
Yes, but it doesn't say how many copies of each card they made.
Re:$9 Million? (Score:5, Insightful)
$9 Million stolen from a bank? Peanuts compared to the next $900 Billion the banks are stealing back again - a hundred thousand times more.... I can't even get to grips with that scale of money....
There's a BIG difference. One group was a bunch of unimaginative, unethical, thieving liars and cowards. The other group had the imagination to do something and take advantage of a weak poorly designed system that gets the guys with the badges and guns after you.
It takes a REAL criminal mind to lobby the regulatory agencies and Congress with dirty money to make your thieving legal. And it's really a piece of work when those lying thieves walk away with tens of millions of dollars in bonuses for cheating.
Re:This doesn't sound right (Score:5, Insightful)
Let's look at it another way.
$9MM / ($500 / transaction) / 130 ATMs / 30 min = ~4.6 transactions/ATM/min
Still seems rather high. I suppose I've never timed it, but it always feels like it takes more than 13 seconds to get my money at an ATM...
Re:How is it a mob at all? (Score:5, Insightful)
zoom out.
Re:Looking at their photos... (Score:3, Insightful)
It's okay. Many homeless are mentally ill, possibly from the PTSD they got from Vietnam. They got so screwed up in our nation's defense that they couldn't come up with such an elaborate scheme. So we really have nothing to worry about! All is as it should be in America.
Re:How's this a flash mob? (Score:3, Insightful)
I believe this is the flash mafia, not a flash mob.
-Isaac
Re:The Wrong Idiots (Score:1, Insightful)
woosh... GP was saying the bankers are the idiots
Inside job (Score:2, Insightful)
and where are the cameras on these Atm's?
Re:Holy Bonus Batman! (Score:5, Insightful)
This is such an insightful comment.
I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. — Thomas Jefferson
and I still had mod points just yesterday...
Re:Inquiring minds want to know (Score:4, Insightful)
Did he hack the bank across state lines from his home?
That's not a requirement for a federal crime in the US; theft from any federally insured bank (which is almost all of them) is a U.S. federal crime, even if the crime occurred in only one state and even if the bank operates under a state charter.
Re:Looking at their photos... (Score:5, Insightful)
Because robbing banks requires at least a modicum of ability, some organizational skill, and a bit of motivation. If you've got all of the above, you're unlikely to be homeless in the first place.
Gotta disagree. Homelessness doesn't correlate well with a lack of ability or organizational skill, or even lack of motivation. It does, however, correlate well with heavy addiction and mental illness, both of which make it pretty damn hard to use one's ability or organizational skills.
Re:How's this a flash mob? (Score:3, Insightful)
This is simply organized crime. It in no way fits the definition of a flash mob any more than 5 people showing up to rob a bank is a flash mod.
Re:Looking at their photos... (Score:3, Insightful)
They get caught in Alaska, and I'd imagine in Hawaii too.
Re:How's this a flash mob? (Score:3, Insightful)
Screen your sys Admins. When you are done with that, check your internal application developers. And, if you find any of that work being done very, very far away from HQ, I'd start with those folks first. Oh, RBS, did you lay anyone off? Why, yes [google.com], yes, I think you did!
There, I just narrowed down your search criteria to under 3000 people. Good luck, and go buy some anti-fraud technology and deploy it wherever card systems are used.