Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

The Underground Uber Networks Driven by Russian Hackers (thedailybeast.com)

Posted by msmash on from the what's-happening dept.

Joseph Cox, reporting for DailyBeat: Uber's ride-sharing service has given birth to some of the most creative criminal scams to date, including using a GPS-spoofing app to rip off riders in Nigeria, and even ginning up fake drivers by using stolen identities. Add to those this nefariously genius operation: Cybercriminals, many working in Russia, have created their own illegitimate taxi services for other crooks by piggybacking off Uber's ride-sharing platform, sometimes working in collaboration with corrupt drivers. Based on several Russian-language posts across a number of criminal-world sites, this is how the scam works: The scammer needs an emulator, a piece of software which allows them to run a virtual Android phone on their laptop with the Uber app, as well as a virtual private network (VPN), which routes their computer's traffic through a server in the same city as the rider. The scammer acts, in essence, as a middleman between an Uber driver and the passenger -- ordering trips through the Uber app, but relaying messages outside of it. Typically, this fraudulent dispatcher uses the messaging app Telegram to chat with the passenger, who provides pickup and destination addresses. The scammer orders the trip, and then provides the car brand, driver name, and license plate details back to the passenger through Telegram.

49 comments

  1. Elok Musk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Is a terrible person.

    1. Re: Elok Musk by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

      I'm Elon Musk, you insensitive clod!

  2. Oh those evil RUSSIANS!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Jesus H. Motherfucking Christ this is getting pathetic.

    1. Re:Oh those evil RUSSIANS!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Oh, we're long past pathetic. Just look at the kind of people that win elections. The worst of the worst. This is what happens when stupid, angry people are allowed to vote. This "democracy" thing has run its course. Intelligence and reason are being voted out of existence.

    2. Re: Oh those evil RUSSIANS!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      This is a story about fraud. It involves Russians. If your point is that it shouldn't be on slashdot, you're wrong, it's a tech story. If your point is that people vilify Russians, you're wrong, these ones are villains. If your point is that the president isn't awful, you're wrong. Obviously. I mean holy fuck.

    3. Re:Oh those evil RUSSIANS!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      -1 Troll

      And the moderators confirm how pathetic and stupid and angry they are! Introspection is a bitch, ain't it? Thanks for showing exactly why the human condition is getting succkier. Oh! How I wish all your bad karma would bounce back at you! You are the evil that will doom us all to another life-death cycle. I guess heaven can wait..

  3. I am disturbed by this news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I am disturbed by this news.
    I demand Uber fix this by rolling out a self balancing self driving motor cycle service.

  4. Yawn... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    The alt-left really need more variety in their panic targets. All day, every day, it's Russians... Nazis ("essentially")... Russians... Nazis ("essentially")... They need a couple more to mix it up. Otherwise, it gets tedious, and people stop paying attention.

    1. Re:Yawn... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      "alt-left". Jesus. Don't you pricks ever think up your own shit.

    2. Re:Yawn... by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 2

      There is no "alt-left". The term you are looking for is "ctrl-left".

      --
      The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
    3. Re:Yawn... by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 1

      Hey, I'm on a Mac and it's cmd-left!

    4. Re: Yawn... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      They seriously don't.

      Fake news about Democrat pedophile rings? "Everything is fake news!"

      Republicans try to suppress minority voters? "Democrats are racists because Chicago is mostly Democrat! Also the civil war!"

      White supremacist rally where people are videotaped shouting anti-Semitic bullshit? "The alt-left are the REAL Nazis."

      It sounds like hypocrisy, but it's a strategy, and it's extremely effective.

    5. Re:Yawn... by SB5407 · · Score: 1

      Who cares if it's Russians?!? Yes, it says Russians in the tile, but I didn't consider their nationality when I read the story, I just saw them as hackers.

      And while I positively condemn their their thievery and fraud in the strongest possible terms, I kind of admire their creative, nee, hacker spirit.

      My hope is that people read Russia in the title and don't think it connotatively means "evil enemy". Rather, my hope is that people read Russia and simply think of it as a place.

      Oh, and perhaps because this is Slashdot, I would sort of hope that perhaps the reader would think of and respect the long history and tradition of the hacker spirit in Russia.

    6. Re:Yawn... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Surprising it isn't "Magic-Left" or "Courage-Left" yet.

    7. Re:Yawn... by sittingnut · · Score: 1

      uber is bypassing local government regulations to make money.
      somebody else(russians?) are bypassing uber to make money.
      end of story.

    8. Re: Yawn... by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

      Go $MY_TEAM! Fuck $THEIR_TEAM, they're bad people!

  5. PUUUTTIINNNN!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    KHHHAAANNNN!!!!!

  6. But what's the scam? by drew_kime · · Score: 1

    I've RTFA and I still can't figure out ... what's the scam? Someone is ordering a ride, someone is driving, someone is paying for the ride.

    Last analysis I read said Uber is already burning investor money faster than they're making it, trying to grow and corner the market. If these guys are just providing the same service as Uber, how are they making any money?

    --
    Nope, no sig
    1. Re:But what's the scam? by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 3, Informative

      The "scam" is that Uber is not getting their cut.

      --
      The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
    2. Re:But what's the scam? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The "scam" is that Uber is not getting their cut.

      If only there were laws and other regulations around ride-sharing.

      Nah, ride sharing is too informal a term, let's give this new, safe, regulated service a shiny new name.

      I'm just spitballing here, but maybe ... Taxi ?

  7. MUH RUSSIAN HACKERS!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    MUH RUSSIAN HACKERS ATE MY NOODLES!
    MUH RUSSIAN HACKERS STOLE MY DOG!

    Anyone who still buys this shit is a low IQ moron. /. has gone to shit with these now retarded, leftist, antifa editors like msmash and BeauHD. Both are millennial hipster trash.

    1. Re: MUH RUSSIAN HACKERS!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Did Vlad send out a new strategy memo? Pretend new stories about your shitty country are boring?

      Head back to Facebook, Dmitry.

    2. Re: MUH RUSSIAN HACKERS!!! by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

      Donald Trump took a dump in my crapper and didn't flush! Then Putin pissed in my sink - and didn't wash it out! And THEN Kim Jong Whatshisface drank all my beer! Those goddamned Canadian bastards!!

  8. Hi, Nigeria by nospam007 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm a Russian Prince and I need your help to transfer a gazillion rubles I 'inherited' into your country....

  9. Website Animation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This article has some cool animation. I get the flowing matrix of bits part. I don't understand the old boxy car frame or green human hand holding some kind of paper though. What is that all about?

  10. "Hackers" again? by jbmartin6 · · Score: 2

    These Russian hackers are now like the monster in the closet who gets blamed for everything. This is just a re-seller scam, not a hack.

    --
    This posting is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind, implied or otherwise.
    1. Re:"Hackers" again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I used to blame criminals for crimes, but that got old so now I blame nuns and beagles.

    2. Re:"Hackers" again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually it's a hack - and so are you for defending it, you cunt.

    3. Re: "Hackers" again? by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

      Beagles stole my car! I saw them with my own eyes!

  11. Old man yells at clouds by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Journalist yells at Russia, must be a day ending in Y.

  12. How it works by SB5407 · · Score: 5, Informative
    1. "An enterprising company" advertises taxi services for less than the prevailing rate. I'll call the service "Hot Taxi" because it depends on stolen payment accounts/credit cards.
    2. A potential rider contacts Hot Taxi.
    3. Hot Taxi and the rider work out the details of the rider's payment (a rate less than Uber or Lyft, presumably), the pickup and the drop off.
    4. Hot Taxi books an Uber ride with a stolen CC.
    5. At the end of the ride, Uber charges the stolen credit card, and while the rider has to pay Hot Taxi via something like the Russian equivalent of PayPal or Venmo.
    6. Boom. The rider gets a taxi ride from Hot Taxi that costs less than the going Uber rate and Hot Taxi pockets the money, because they don't have to pay the driver, Uber does.
    1. Re:How it works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Assuming the driver even gets paid. I am not sure if Uber gets a charge back whether they also reclaim the driver's cut from the ride...

    2. Re:How it works by slew · · Score: 2


      1.    
      2. "An enterprising company" advertises taxi services for less than the prevailing rate. I'll call the service "Hot Taxi" because it depends on stolen payment accounts/credit cards.
      3. A potential rider contacts Hot Taxi.
      4. Hot Taxi and the rider work out the details of the rider's payment (a rate less than Uber or Lyft, presumably), the pickup and the drop off.
      5. Hot Taxi books an Uber ride with a stolen CC.
      6. At the end of the ride, Uber charges the stolen credit card, and while the rider has to pay Hot Taxi via something like the Russian equivalent of PayPal or Venmo.
      7. Boom. The rider gets a taxi ride from Hot Taxi that costs less than the going Uber rate and Hot Taxi pockets the money, because they don't have to pay the driver, Uber does.

      Actually, Uber likely doesn't have to pay either, the CC issuer pays for fraudulent transactions which in the end means all those that have CC pay (where those that carry a monthly balance and pay interest suffer the higher burden)...

      FWIW, this doesn't describe a screw-Uber scam, it's basically a stick-it-to-the-man plan (the man being the collective CC holders)...

    3. Re:How it works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uber pays about $30 per chargeback.

    4. Re:How it works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >"... it's basically a stick-it-to-the-man plan ..."

      It appears to me that it is a money laundering plan. The scammers want to realize profits from their stolen credit cards, and this scam adds a layer of isolation between them and the fraudulent transaction.

    5. Re:How it works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why wasn't this explanation in the summary?

    6. Re:How it works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uber pays about $30 per chargeback.

      This is not a chargeback, this is a fraudulent transaction handled by a different part of the Merchant agreement.
      Uber passes the hold-amount the payment network to the card issuer (usually a bank), and the issuer accepts the hold (and presumably the later settlement), and only later informs the merchant that the transaction was fraudulent (probably after the holder attempts the chargeback). The issuer had a chance to decline the hold or settlement transactions, but did not. The only question is if the merchant performed their end of the agreement to authorize the transaction (and I assume Uber does this automatically).

  13. Are you working? by lars5 · · Score: 1

    Does this enterprise only take gold coins?

    --
    Don't Panic.
  14. Is it simple arbitrage? by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 1
    Why is this illegal or wrong or a scam?

    As long as Uber gets the customer and gets what it wants to be paid, where is the scam?

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re:Is it simple arbitrage? by SB5407 · · Score: 3, Informative

      The rider pays the hackers with actual funds while Uber charges a stolen credit card that the hackers used to book the ride.

  15. How it works by SB5407 · · Score: 1

    https://it.slashdot.org/commen...

  16. RUUUSSSIANNSSS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    teh ebil RUSSIANS at it again!

  17. Still Don't Get It by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I just got scammed into reading the stupidest article on Slashdot.

  18. long past time for some autocorrect updates by Uberbah · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Uber's ride-sharing service

    Should always read: Uber's unlicensed taxi service

    1. Re: long past time for some autocorrect updates by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I sure do miss paying $100 for a ride in a stinking biohazard and waiting an hour for it to arrive.

    2. Re: long past time for some autocorrect updates by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Give it a few more years and that will be Uber too.

  19. Regulation by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

    If you cry bloody hell against having a regulated market, don't whine when there is no way to protect you from people taking advantage of it. This is where a deregulated market goes to.

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
  20. Russian scammers by viperidaenz · · Score: 1

    Not Russian hackers. They're not hacking anything.
    They're using Uber to launder stolen credit cards

  21. MitM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The "scam" is that Uber is not getting their cut.

    The television show Malcolm In The Middle will answer all of your questions.