π°π JFK Taxi Dispatch Was Hacked In Pay-To-Play Scheme
Federal prosecutors have charged two men, working with foreign hackers, of hijacking JFK's yellow cab dispatch system and charging TLC drivers $10 to illegally jump to the front of the dispatch line
In a story made for a Hollywood script, Daniel Abayev and Peter Leyman (both 48), had charges brought against them related to their role in illegally hacking the yellow cab dispatch system at JFK, beginning in 2019 and running to September 2021. Both men, aided by Russia-based hackers, are alleged to have run a βPay-to-Playβ scheme, where they charged TLC drivers $10 (per trip) to βjumpβ the yellow taxi waiting line at JFK. It is thought the men facilitated the scheme and recruited drivers via online chat groups.
At its height, it is alleged the βPay-to-Playβ scheme enabled 1,000 βexpeditedβ yellow cab trips PER DAY (i.e., 1,000 trips * $10 = $10,000 per dayπ°)?! In fact, prosecutors allege Abayev and Leyman transferred more than $100,000 of their criminal proceeds to Russia-based hackers that helped them run the scheme, classifying the transfers as βpayment for software developmentβ or βpayment for services renderedβ.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and John Gay, the inspector general of the Port Authority, announced the charges last week.
Brief History of JFK Taxi Dispatch
In 1995, a taxi dispatching system was created at JFK to control the βmad jockeyingβ of yellow taxis searching for passengers across terminals. Drivers were directed to park in a new holding lot, north of the airport. Cabs would be dispatched in the order they arrived and needed to present a βslipβ to a dispatcher in the terminal.
Are NYC TLC Drivers Victims OR Enablers?
Other questions that probably should be asked revolve around whether the TLC drivers who participated in the scheme should face some sort of fine or punishment AND/OR whether compensation for lost income is due to other drivers from recovered funds? π€
We understand thousands of TLC drivers driving in the taxi medallion industry may have paid the $10 to skip the line: (1) out of desperation and/or (2) because so many others were participating. They could equally be viewed as victims and enablers of the scheme (i.e., recruited others to avoid the $10 fee). Whatβs fairly obvious though is TLC drivers who didnβt participate in the scheme and followed the rules, lost income in form of fares and idling time.