How bank heist hackers stole millions

Investigators are seeking to track down hackers who attempted to steal almost $1 billion of Bangladesh’s foreign reserves. While authorities blocked most of the illicit transfers, $81 million is still missing

May 2015, Philippines: Four U.S. dollar
accounts opened with fake driving licences at Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation in Manila’s Makati Central Business District

January 2016: Malware introduced into Bangladesh central bank computers. Hackers steal codes for SWIFT – global network used by banks to send money transfer instructions

Feb 4: Hackers enter Bangladesh Bank’s
computers and order 35 transfers – to value of $951 million – via SWIFT from Bangladesh’s foreign reserve accounts at U.S. Federal Reserve

Feb 5: Fed executes five transfers with value of $101m –  four to RCBC in Philippines worth $81m, and one for $20m to Shalika Foundation in Sri Lanka. Spelling error in Sri Lankan account name prompts routing bank, Deutsche Bank, to stop transaction. Fed Stops 30 orders worth $850m

Feb 8: Chinese New Year. $81m transferred to accounts linked to Philippine casinos.
$31m traced to Chinese casino promoter, $29m to accounts held by Bloomberry Resorts and $21m to Eastern Hawaii
Leisure Company

Sources: Makati City Prosecutor, Financial Times

Pictures: Associated Press