Macau hacker arrested for high-value theft
A high-stakes player from Macau was unhappy after his online VIP room account at a local casino was hacked and his online balance of HK$3 million ($387,000) was stolen by the criminals.
Macau judicial police have arrested two computer programmers, both aged 20, in connection with a cyberattack; they are believed to be part of a larger criminal gang.
Unnamed Casino
Details of the specific casinos targeted have not been released, but the Criminal Investigation Division said in a news release that police received a call from an employee at a casino on Friendship Avenue. They reported that their VIP computer system was hacked and deposits from one of their high roller customer accounts were stolen.
Apparently, the casino uses a system where customers provide the VIP room with personal information, such as a contact number, when they deposit funds into their account. If they hire a third party to withdraw funds for them, the third party must verify that they have the authority to conduct the transaction using the contact number provided by the thief in order to commit the crime.
Numbers changed
The cunning gang of thieves reportedly hacked into the lounge's system and changed contact numbers on the accounts of unsuspecting high rollers. The perpetrators later showed up at the casino and stated that they had the right to withdraw the funds. To verify this, the employee then contacted a co-conspirator (posing as a high roller) using a number registered in the system (which had since been changed) and received permission to hand over the money.
Casino staff were told they had no way of knowing that hackers had breached VIP systems and changed account numbers, and police responded quickly by conducting a forensic audit of the casino's technology to confirm that it would indeed prevent more high rollers' money from falling into it. into the hands of opportunistic villains.
Authorities have identified two perpetrators involved in the crime; however, police are still looking for other suspects in the case. Two suspects were reportedly arrested as they entered Macau through a border checkpoint.
Now the two young computer programmers must defend themselves before prosecutors against charges including membership in a criminal organization, unauthorized access to computer systems, tampering with data and, of course, theft.
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Source: www.casino.org
