Cash-Stuffed Luggage Leads to Arrest of Five Suspected In $45 Million Cyber Heist
Party's over, boys. (Photo: DOJ)
Earlier today, five men in New York were busted in connection to a huge cyber heist after "packing bags to [the] brim with stolen cash." Federal prosecutors said that the group of wannabe movie thugs were members of a international hacking organization that stole more than $45 million from several global banks earlier this year.
The defendants, named Jaindhi Polanco, Saul Franjul, Anthony Diaz, Saul Genao and Jose Angeley Valerio allegedly used "sophisticated intrusion techniques" to steal tens of millions of dollars from banks including siphoning money from prepaid credit cards and making fraudulent ATM transactions. They collaborated with six other men who have already been indicted.
ABC News describes how the crooks' actions went down:
According to court records, the international group of hackers targeted prepaid debit cards issued by Rakbank, based in the United Arab Emirates, and Bank Muscat, based in Oman. They eliminated withdrawal limits from compromised accounts, then sent teams of "cashiers" to make simultaneous withdrawals from ATMs all over the globe.
In New York, the men stole more than $3 million from 140 different ATMs in just a few hours. A release says the money was transported via bus to the group's organizers in Miami. The guys, all aged in their twenties, allegedly used the money to live their Best Life, including spending thousands of dollars at nightclubs and for shopping sprees.
Loretta Lynch, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York turned on the lights, thus ending their good times."Today we have sent them packing once again – but this time to jail," she stated in a release. The screen then cut to credits.