Insider trading scheme involving hackers, traders, and intermediaries made millions in profits from stolen press releases.
Hackers exploited vulnerabilities in news wire agencies' systems to steal over 100,000 confidential press releases.
Traders used the stolen press releases to gain an advantage in the stock market and made millions in profits.
Deep dives
Insider Trading Scheme: Profit from Stolen Press Releases
A group of hackers, traders, and intermediaries conducted an elaborate insider trading scheme based on stolen press releases. Hackers penetrated the networks of news wire agencies and stole over 100,000 confidential news releases before they were distributed. Traders, including a pastor and hedge fund managers, used the stolen information to trade ahead of the public release of the press releases, making millions in profits. The operation involved multiple hackers, traders, and middlemen, and expanded over five years. Eventually, the scheme was uncovered by the FBI and SEC, leading to the arrest of several key individuals and exposing the extent of the operation.
Hacking News Wire Agencies for Insider Information
Hackers targeted major news wire agencies, exploiting vulnerabilities in their systems to gain access to unpublished press releases. The hackers used a range of techniques, including brute force and SQL injection attacks, to breach the agencies' defenses. Once inside, they stole over 100,000 press releases containing confidential financial information about publicly traded companies. The hackers then passed these stolen press releases to traders, who used the insider information to make profitable trades ahead of the public release of the information.
Traders Profiting from Stolen Insider Information
Traders involved in the scheme used the stolen press releases to gain a significant advantage in the stock market. Armed with advanced knowledge of a company's financial performance, these traders made strategic trades, predicting how the public would react to the upcoming announcements. The trading group included a pastor and hedge fund managers who allegedly made millions in profits from their insider trading. The traders communicated with intermediaries who facilitated the distribution of the stolen press releases and coordinated their trades based on the confidential information.
Collaboration and Expansion of the Insider Trading Scheme
The insider trading scheme involved collaboration between hackers, traders, and intermediaries. The hackers penetrated multiple news wire agencies, while traders strategically used the stolen information for their trades. As the scheme grew, additional traders and intermediaries were recruited, and the operation expanded to include more companies and press releases. The increased involvement of participants led to the generation of significant profits, involved tens of millions of dollars. The insatiable greed of the participants ultimately contributed to the downfall of the operation.
Investigation, Arrests, and Legal Consequences
Following an investigation by the FBI and SEC, arrests were made, and individuals involved in the scheme faced criminal charges. The hackers, traders, and intermediaries were charged with wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. While some individuals cooperated and pleaded guilty, others maintained their innocence. The trials shed light on the details of the elaborate scheme, revealing the extent of the stolen press releases and the profits made. The masterminds behind the hacking operation remain at large, and their capture is still being pursued by law enforcement agencies.
Investing in the stock market can be very profitable. Especially if you can see into the future. This is a story of how a group of traders and hackers got together to figure out a way to see into the future and make a lot of money from that.
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Support for this show comes from Thinkst Canary. Their canaries attract malicious actors in your network and then send you an alert if someone tries to access them. Great early warning system for knowing when someone is snooping around where they shouldn’t be. Check them out at https://canary.tools.
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