Russian Hackers Hired to Breach Taxi Dispatch System at JFK Airport
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the arrest of two men involved in hacking the taxi dispatch system at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. According to investigators, the suspects hired Russian hackers and paid them at least $100,000 for their services.
The DOJ press release states that the suspects, Daniel Abayev and Peter Leyman, both New York residents, hacked into JFK Airport’s taxi dispatch system to allow certain taxi drivers to skip the line and move to the front, bypassing others.
How the Scheme Worked
At JFK Airport, taxi drivers are required to wait in a holding lot before being dispatched to the terminal in the order they arrived. This system was designed to ensure fair working conditions for drivers due to the high demand for taxi services. As a result, drivers often have to wait several hours for their turn.
Investigators report that from September 2019 to September 2021, Abayev and Leyman manipulated the dispatch system, allowing them to control the order in which taxis were sent to the terminal. Participating drivers paid a $10 fee each time they received a priority dispatch. Drivers who promoted the service to their colleagues were given a free “queue jump.”
All communication with drivers took place in private chat groups, where drivers would provide their medallion number and make payments (either in cash or via mobile payment). The organizers would then send a message to the terminal, instructing the driver where to go.
Involvement of Russian Hackers
An interesting detail is that the suspects did not carry out the hack themselves. According to the investigation, they hired hackers based in Russia, paying them at least $100,000 for developing the necessary software.
The indictment states that the scheme enabled about 2,500 fraudulent rides per week, with the number sometimes reaching 600–1,000 rides per day.
Methods Used to Breach the System
Abayev and Leyman explored and attempted various methods to access the dispatch system, including:
- Bribing someone to insert a flash drive with malware into computers connected to the dispatch system
- Gaining unauthorized access via Wi-Fi connections
- Stealing computer tablets connected to the dispatch system
The hackers also exchanged messages explicitly discussing their intent to hack the dispatch system. For example, on November 10, 2019, Abayev messaged one of the Russian hackers in Russian: “I know the Pentagon was hacked. Can’t we hack the taxi industry?” according to the DOJ.
Legal Consequences
Both suspects have been charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.