A group of about a hundred people coordinated to give a simultaneous blow to 1,400 ATMs in Japan with the loot; they got more than eleven million euros in just two hours.
Scammers Stole 1.4 Billion Yen From 1,400 ATMs In Japan
As they did not use any pistols nor assault any bank branch. The heist was clean, but this incident shows a sophisticated move by criminals who stole the critical card data. After hacking a South African bank and obtaining data from 1,600 accounts of the entity, the thieves used this information on their hand-made credit cards, which work as the key to access other people’s money. It was only the last step that converted the virtual money into tickets. Hence, they chose the 24-hour supermarket chain, which is well known in Japan and whose machines accept foreign cards. The Japanese police explained that the robbery took place simultaneously in 1,400 ATMs placed in small convenience 24 hours stores across Japan, as some popular establishments that have automatic cash dispensers around the country. The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that about 14,000 operations were performed, 100,000 yen (about 811 euros at current exchange rates), bringing the total loot would have exceeded 11 million euros. Japanese police revealed that the cashiers carried six cards suspected of abnormal consumption. Now the Japanese police are reviewing the security cameras establishments to try to confirm their suspicions that the assailants belong to a “well organized” Malaysian criminal group and are sought on an international level. The Standard Bank Group stated in a statement, “They had taken quick action to curb the problem and have alerted the Japanese authorities”. Japan is not the first coordinated teller or the largest amount theft victim. The reports also leaked that this group of cyber criminals had sacked 900 million euros from a hundred banks, penetrating their systems and programs last year. Hence, ATMs were looted several times a day to dispense money without entering any card.
