Two men from New York, named Daniel Abayev and Peter Leyman, have been charged with conspiring with Russian hackers. The two individuals were allegedly complicit in hacking the JFK taxi system, which led to taxi drivers cheating the taxi dispatch system.

Cheating the System

Reports say that Abayev and Leyman hacked the JFK taxi system between September 2019 and September 2021. They did so with the help of Russian hackers, which helped them profit off of taxi drivers who wanted to get ahead of the dispatch queue.

According to Bleeping Computer, the two New Yorkers would charge certain taxi drivers $10 in exchange for the service. The hackers would then alter the sequence in the computer-controlled taxi dispatch system and put the specific taxi medallion number to go first.

The drivers would contact the hackers through chat apps on private groups, wherein Abayev and Leyman would make announcements about whether the service was open or closed. Participants would then pay $10 via mobile payment or in cash.

There was even a system where taxi drivers providing referrals would get a waiver that granted them a one-time free service. It helped the scheme grow, with drivers recruiting others to participate in the service. 

Spreadsheet documents shared by authorities revealed that the hacking scheme was responsible for 2,500 illegally pushed trips a week. Although, prosecutors day that the two US citizens were responsible for up to 1,000 taxi trips in just one day.

Reports say that without the hackers' assistance, some taxi drivers would wait hours in line before they could pick up travelers from the airport. This means that honest drivers would have to wait in line longer than before since others are cutting in the queue.

The hacking scheme was made possible due to the help of Abayev and Leyman. The two individuals bribed someone to install malware on computers that were connected to the system. They also stole computer tablets and used Wi-Fi to break into the system. 

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The Arrest

Daniel Abayev and Peter Leyman have been charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, which was announced by prosecutors from the Southern District of New York. They were taken into custody in Queens on a Tuesday morning.

As mentioned by CNBC, Abayev allegedly texted the Russian hackers, saying that he knew that the Pentagon was being hacked, and proceeded to ask why they couldn't hack the taxi industry. The text was said to be sent back in November 2019, according to the indictment.

The two New Yorkers are set to appear before Judge Gabriel Gorenstein next Tuesday. When proven guilty, the individuals would face up to ten years in prison. As mentioned in reports, it's still unknown whether they hired a lawyer or not.

Damian Williams, a US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, shared a statement. He mentioned that the two defendants, with the help of Russian hackers, "took the Port Authority for a ride."

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