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by Barry McIntyre on (December 23, 2022 at 4:31 PM)
Two United States citizens have been arrested and accused of conspiring with Russian nationals to hack the taxi dispatch system at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in exchange for a $10 fee, allowing them to skip the line between September 2019 and September 2021.
The taxi dispatch system is a computer-controlled system that ensures that taxis are dispatched from the airport's holding lot to pick up the next available fare at the appropriate terminal. Taxis must wait several hours before being summoned by the dispatch system.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged in the indictment, these two defendants — with the help of Russian hackers — took the Port Authority for a ride. For years, the defendants’ hacking kept honest cab drivers from being able to pick up fares at JFK in the order in which they arrived. Now, thanks to this Office’s teamwork with the Port Authority, these defendants are facing serious criminal charges for their alleged cybercrimes.”
In 2019, Daniel Abayev and Peter Leyman (both 48 and from Queens, New York) were indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice for their role in hacking the dispatch system of New York City taxis. Abayev and Leyman allegedly accessed the system to move specific taxis to the front of the line, charging drivers a $10 fee for the privilege. Members of the hacking scheme also offered to waive the $10 fee in exchange for recruiting more taxi drivers.
The hackers used group chats to communicate with taxi drivers and advise them how to avoid detection by law enforcement. Abayev and Leyman approved as many as 1,000 trips a day and transferred at least $100,000 to the hackers in Russia as “payment for software development.”
Port Authority Inspector General John Gay said: “This sophisticated, internationally coordinated conspiracy allegedly targeted hard-working taxi drivers trying to earn an honest living. The Port Authority has zero tolerance for bad actors violating the law at our facilities. We thank Damian Williams and the Southern District for their partnership as we continue our relentless commitment to detecting and disrupting illegal behavior at our facilities across the region.”
Both men have been charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison if they are convicted.