$45 Million ATM Heist Was Largest Of Its Kind, Theft Took Mere Hours, Eight NYC Suspects Charged In Worldwide Hacking Ring

A $45 million ATM heist has been discovered, and it was the largest bank heist of its kind. Eight suspects New York City area suspects have been charged in connection with the worldwide hacking case.

The $45 million ATM heist was an unprecedented worldwide theft, taking mere hours using fabricated ATM cards. The plot was intricate as a movie, according to prosecutors, who said, "This scheme was organized for months and planned down to the minute, reminiscent of the casino heist in 'Ocean's Eleven,'" Loretta Lynch, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, told press.

In the sceme, hackers stole data from banks. The data was then encoded on plastic cards, which were sent to operatives in 27 different countries. They then went from ATM to ATM with the cards, withdrawing millions of dollars. The operation was detailed in an indictment that was unsealed today. The hackers targeted at least two different processors for prepaid debit cards, one for Rakback in the United Arab Emerates and one for MasterCard cards at the Bank of Muscat in Oman, among other operations. The hackers eliminated withdrawal limits, compromised data, and put it onto plastic cards that were shipped worldwide. In all, more than 4,500 ATM transactions were conducted in approximately 20 countries.

The New York City-based cell of the group, which has leaders unknown to prosecutors, managed to withdraw $3 million of the $45 million stolen in 25 minutes. The defendants who have been arrested racked up 750 fraudulent transactions totaling nearly $400,000 at more than 140 different ATMs.

Attorney Loretta Lynch said of one New York City based operative,"Surveillance photos show his backpack getting heavier and heavier as his efforts go on," she said.

"Instead of guns and masks, this cyber crime organization used laptops and malware," Lynch said.

Seven members of the New York cell have currently been arrested as suspects. The eighth and supposed ringleader, Alberto Yusi Lajud-Pena, was found murdered last month in the Dominican Republic.

In addition to the ATM heists, the defendants bought luxury goods with the stolen money.  A Mercedes SUV, a Porsche Panamera, two Rolex watches, and other goods have at this point been seized by the U.S. government.

Law enforcement agencies in at least 16 countries were involved in the investigation. The financial sector as a whole faces thousands of attempted cyber attacks per day, but most are stopped, according to researchers.