US charges eight hackers from Russia, Estonia and Moldova
If you thought the stories of hackers hitting the big banks and stealing piles of money were just hot air, consider this one: the FBI has just announced that it’s managed to break an Eastern European hacking ring that in November 2008 stole $9.4 million from the accounts of Royal Bank of Scotland’s branch in Atlanta, Georgia. The gang created 44 fake payroll accounts and accompanying debit cards, and then took only 12 hours to lighten the RBS accounts of their “unnecessary cash”. They then used 2,100 ATMs in 280 cities worldwide to withdraw the money. All in all, eight young men from Russia, Estonia and Moldova are charged. Tellingly, the FBI has managed to arrest only one of them so far. Read more: New York Times
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