US federal prosecutors in the state of New York say cyber-criminals stole $45m (about N7bn), by hacking their way into a database of prepaid debit cards.
Seven people were arrested in the case, which involved thousands of thefts from ATMs in 26 countries, authorities announced on Thursday.
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Prosecutors say an eighth person involved in the crime was murdered in the Dominican Republic late last month.
The US attorney in Brooklyn, Loretta Lynch called the cyber-theft “a massive 21st-century bank heist”.
According to her, the New York cell of the global theft operation withdrew $2.8m (440m) in cash from hacked accounts in less than a day.
