Two U.S. citizens were arrested for allegedly conspiring with Russian hackers to hack the JFK Airport taxi dispatch system to move specific taxis to the front of the queue in exchange for a $10 fee.
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.
According to the unsealed indictment published by the U.S. Department of Justice yesterday, two men, Daniel Abayev and Peter Leyman, with the assistance of Russian hackers, breached the JFK taxi dispatch system between September 2019 and September 2021.
Taxi drivers participating in the scheme had to pay $10 to the hackers in cash or via mobile payment. Those promoting the service to their colleagues would be given waivers allowing them to skip the line for free.
The communications between the taxi drivers and the hackers took place via chat apps on private groups, where Abayev and Leyman would make “Shop open” and “Shop closed” announcements.
The charges both men face carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for two counts of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion.