Russians hack US airport taxi stand: 10 dollars up front

writes that The New York Times Today. The Russians — along with two Americans — hacked taxis carrying passengers at Kennedy International Airport. It was like that for many years. Two Americans are now on trial for fraud.

Waiting in the large parking lot

“If the Pentagon can be hacked, why can’t the taxi industry do it,” wrote one of the two. Through the hack, the hackers would have reached around 1000 fraudulent taxi rides per day.

At the largest US airport, a system has been in place for nearly three decades to ensure that taxis don’t try to pick up passengers everywhere in the terminals. Instead, all taxis have to wait their turn in a large parking lot.

On busy days, The New York Times writes, 300 to 400 taxis are “released” an hour. But when it’s quiet, taxi drivers may have to wait up to three hours before heading to the airport to pick up passengers.

‘Everybody Knows’

With the hack, taxi drivers can drive straight for a $10 fee. Taxi drivers told the American newspaper that everyone knows about it. A taxi driver who has worked in New York since 1975 said he did not participate. “I’ve been waiting, it should be.”

Others said they would happily pay $10. A driver said if it was $20 I would have paid. Through the ruse, the men raised more than $100,000 for Russia, according to prosecutors.

Since the men’s arrest, authorities have warned taxi drivers not to wait their turn.