14 DAY TRIAL // Usually, hackers interested in financial information attack banks or financial institutions, which could give them easy access to bank accounts. However, is there anyone who ever thought that going to a restaurant may cost you more than your meal? Well, your answer might be "no" but, according to recent reports, going to the restaurant may make hackers earn a few extra bucks. According to a press release of the US Department of Justice, three men from Kharkov (Ukraine), Sillamae (Estonia) and Miami have been charged with wire fraud, computer fraud and other several charges after breaking into restaurant computers to get access to financial information.
The three attackers hacked the cash terminals of no less than 11 Dave & Busters Inc. locations, also known as D7B, and installed a malicious software which tracked the financial data and sent it back to them. The stolen details were then re-sold to other people, who used them for "fraudulent purchases or sold the data to others," the Department of Justice informs.
The three hackers were especially interested in account numbers and expiration dates, so the owners' names or other private details were not stolen. However, the three men managed to steal information on 5,000 cards from a single restaurant, which translated into loses of no less than $600,000, DoJ adds.
"This case demonstrates the potential for criminals to inflict significant damage to our nation's financial sector, but this investigation and the resulting indictments should serve as a warning to cyber criminals that law enforcement will continue to pursue them wherever they are," said U.S. Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan. "Cooperation and partnerships have allowed us to focus our resources and respond quickly to uncover and prevent these types of crimes, whether they originate within or outside our borders," he added.