In February of 2013 a surgically precise and digitally orchestrated operation compromises ATM machines around the world by a group of men mostly in the 20’s. The heist known as “Unlimited Operation” drains banks of nearly $45 Million and is the largest ever of it’s kind. Despite a cell being arrested in New York dozens of co-conspirators remain at large with their identity and motive unknown.
Emir Yasser Yeje and Elvis Rafael Rodriguez pictured together. (Source: Department of Justice)
TIMELINE:
December 22, 2012: First hit on a credit card processor in the United Arab Emirates targets RAKBANK (India). Peña’s crew makes 70 transactions swiping $382,579 in New York City
February 19-20, 2013: Second hit on a server at the Muskat bank in Oman triggers the second NY heist. Only 12 account numbers were compromised, but the loss is nearly $45 million.
March, 2013 Rodriguez arrested at JFK airport attempting to flee the country
March 9, 2013: United States Attorney Loretta Lynch announces the arrest of several cashers in New York.
April 27, 2013: 2 weeks after leaving New York Yusi Lajud-Peña AKA “Prime” (NY cell leader) is shot twice and killed while playing dominos with friends in the Dominican Republic.
October, 2013: Emir Yasser Yeje and Elvis Rafael Rodriguez plead guilty
November 13, 2013: Evan Jose Peña pleads guilty
Within an organization like “Unlimited Operation” there is a three-level hierarchy. At the top you have the backers, the financial power behind the operation. These people or groups have a lot to gain from the operation going smoothly, and they stand to lose it all if something goes wrong and they are exposed. Pulling together such an unprecedented heist requires lots of planning and planning costs lots of money.
The backers bring in the hackers. The hackers are the tech-savvy brains of the operation. It’s the hackers job to infiltrate the banks, gather information, and inform the rest of the operation when the move is going to take place.
Then there are the cashers. Once the cashers have the information, cards, and game plan it’s the cashers who bring home the money. They are the individuals on the street that hits the ATMs’ in sync to drain as much money as they can. Once the heist is done their job is to take a cut (20%) and launder the rest back to those at the top.
The style of heist seen in “Unlimited” is not all that uncommon. Identity thieves have long been using legit account info on false cards, and hackers have been stealing information since the dawn of the Internet. Crimes like the Sony hack or the celebrity nude photo leak come to mind as related cases, but the magnitude of “unlimited” is what makes it so impressive.
Sourcer: CNN, CBS, It Security