Kimberley Mannion
A GANG of teenage hackers have been arrested for stealing thousands of euros from the Madrid and Granada local authorities.
The crime involved manipulating the account numbers of several highly paid civil servants and diverting their salary into two bank accounts set up with false documentation.
The hackers changed the direct debit on the accounts to their own, diverting more than €53,000 worth of salaries.
The stolen money was then converted into cryptocurrencies, making it more difficult to trace.
Photo: Pixabay
The 18-year-old gang leader was found by police leading a life of luxury in a villa in Madrid with a pool, gym and top of the range sports cars.
The teenager reportedly began his criminal career hacking into cafes before working his way up to the ayuntamiento.
Policia Nacional have arrested eight young people in Madrid for their involvement in the scheme.
The investigation began last December when Granada city council reported that four of its employees’ salaries had been stolen.
A similar incident was then reported at the end of December from the Madrid Ayuntamiento, with the money detected as having been deposited into the criminal bank account.
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