Russian Hackers’ Latest Target Is Cab Dispatch Line at J.F.K., U.S. Says - The New York Times

Russian hackers person carried retired cyberattacks connected hospitals, lipid and state companies, a statesmanlike predetermination and a massive substance pipeline. But cyberwarfare reached a caller battlefield connected Tuesday erstwhile the authorities said that 2 Queens men moving with Russians had been capable to hack the physics taxi dispatch strategy astatine Kennedy International Airport.

The goal? To let taxi drivers successful a holding batch waiting to prime up their adjacent fare to leap the enactment — for a $10 fee.

The Queens men discussed their plans successful messages to their Russian counterparts, a national indictment charged. The defendants credited that nation’s hackers with large method prowess.

“I cognize that the Pentagon is being hacked,” 1 of the defendants, Daniel Abayev, wrote. “So, can’t we hack the taxi industry?”

On Tuesday, Damian Williams, the U.S. lawyer successful Manhattan, and John Gay, the inspector wide of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, announced the indictments of Mr. Abayev and different man, Peter Leyman, each 48.

“The Port Authority has zero tolerance for atrocious actors violating the instrumentality astatine our facilities,” Mr. Gay said successful a statement.

The strategy “enabled arsenic galore arsenic 1,000 fraudulently expedited taxi trips a day,” the indictment said.

Each suspect was charged with 2 counts of conspiracy to perpetrate machine intrusion. Mr. Abayev’s lawyer, Matthew Myers, said his lawsuit would plead not guilty.

“A due probe indispensable beryllium conducted earlier anyone jumps to conclusions astir the engagement oregon relation Mr. Abayev did oregon did not play successful this planetary matter,” Mr. Myers said.

Mr. Leyman’s lawyer, Jacob Kaplan, declined to comment.

On Tuesday afternoon, drivers waiting successful the airdrome holding lot, which was packed to capacity, suggested successful interviews that the strategy had been an unfastened secret.

Sasenarine Singh, a cabdriver since 1975, said helium learned astir it from indiscreet drivers waiting wrong the lot.

Whenever helium spotted a yellowish cab sitting successful a adjacent state presumption batch oregon broadside street, helium said, helium presumed the operator was portion of what helium called “the monkey business.”

Mr. Singh said helium did not articulation in: “I travel successful the lot, I hold similar a quality being.”

Mr. Singh said helium felt “most aggravated astir it,” adding “they travel and instrumentality a occupation distant from you.”

Another driver, Alhousain Diallo, 34, said helium knew astir the strategy from different cabbies trying to enlistee him in. Mr. Diallo said helium turned everyone down. “It’s unfair to the different taxi drivers,” helium said.

Nearly 30 years ago, the airdrome created a taxi dispatching system to power the huffy jockeying of yellowish cabs that cruised the roads surrounding the terminals successful hunt of passengers. Drivers were directed to parkland successful a caller holding batch — present 5.4 acres — conscionable northbound of the airport. Cabs would beryllium dispatched successful the bid they arrived to terminals wherever they were needed, airdrome officials said astatine the time.

The Port Authority says that today, during highest periods, arsenic galore arsenic 300 to 400 cabs an hr are dispatched, and that during early-morning hours, erstwhile rider request is lower, drivers whitethorn hold successful the batch for 2 to 3 hours earlier being sent to a terminal to prime up a fare.

Those agelong waits gave the hackers an opening.

The $10 wound was a important proportionality of cabbies’ revenue: They are allowed to charge a level fare of $52 for trips to Manhattan, positive surcharges during highest hours.

Members of the hacking scheme, including Mr. Abayev and Mr. Leyman, began exploring ways to summation entree to the dispatch strategy successful 2019, the indictment says. Eventually, they succeeded, and were capable to determination circumstantial taxis to the beforehand of the line, up of those that had arrived successful the batch earlier.

The defendants communicated with drivers done ample radical chat threads, the indictment says, adding that erstwhile the conspirators gained entree to the strategy connected a peculiar day, a connection would beryllium sent: “Shop open.” When the hackers’ entree was interrupted, different connection would spell out: “Shop closed.”

As the indictment describes the scheme, drivers paid the $10 interest successful currency oregon done a mobile outgo system. Sometimes, the interest was waived if the operator agreed to enlistee different cabbies. To instrumentality vantage of the scheme, approaching drivers would nonstop their taxi medallion numbers to the radical chat threads and were told which terminal to spell to successful bid to prime up a fare.

In aboriginal December 2019, conscionable months aft the strategy began, the indictment says, Mr. Abayev sent a dependable connection to 1 of the Russian hackers, saying they had charged for a grounds fig of trips that day.

“This is precisely the level that I privation to person each day,” Mr. Abayev said.

Mr. Abayev and Mr. Leyman moved much than $100,000 of their transgression proceeds to the hackers successful Russia, the indictment says.

Mr. Abayev besides repeatedly sent a connection to ample groups of drivers participating successful the strategy instructing them however to debar detection by instrumentality enforcement authorities.

“DEAR DRIVERS !!!! PLEASE !!!! Do not hold astatine the state presumption successful JFK,” the connection said, listing different locations wherever drivers besides should not wait. Drivers should beryllium “very very” careful, the connection cautioned, ending with 2 emojis of constabulary officers.

At the holding batch connected Tuesday, drivers who said they were unaware of the strategy expressed choler upon learning astir it, lavishing their comments with profanities.

“Why did they bash that?” said Ahmed Motaher, 54, a operator for much than 30 years.

He said helium was relieved to larn astir the arrests due to the fact that helium knew the galore ways cabbies could beryllium taken vantage of. “Cabdriver ever get the banana,” helium said.

Henry Fernandez, 50, who said helium started driving lone precocious and that helium was unaware of the hacking, added that helium was not amazed to perceive astir “wiggles” successful the industry.

“I don’t deliberation it’s fair, I don’t deliberation it’s nice,” helium said.

However, 1 hr into an expected three-hour hold successful the lot, helium said helium understood the temptation.

“I’m being honest, I’d springiness $10 to skip the line, I’d springiness $20,” helium said. “I don’t blasted them — they were smart.”

Sheelagh McNeill contributed research.