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US Arrests Five in Worldwide ATM Heist


U.S. authorities have arrested five people in connection with a worldwide ATM heist in which criminals stole $45 million from two banks in the Middle East.

Officials say the five suspects were so-called "cashers" in the scheme, fanning out across New York City to make thousands of withdrawals from ATMs and stealing $2.8 million.

The Justice Department says the five suspects, all in their 20s, gave the majority of the money to the organizers of the scam, but used some of it to go on shopping sprees for luxury goods.

Authorities say the heist included hackers who stole debit card data from the accounts of the National Bank of Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates and Bank Muscat in Oman. Then, crews in more than 24 countries withdrew more than $45 million in two separate operations last December and February.



The five suspects arrested Monday face up to seven and a-half years in prison. U.S. officials already have charged others in the scheme, including some of the alleged organizers of the heist.
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