The great ATM heist: How thieves brazenly stole $45 million in a few hours

Police say a group of hackers and street thieves in 27 countries nabbed a fortune without setting foot in a single bank

New York City ATMs were hit up for $2.8 million
(Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Federal prosecutors in New York announced on Thursday that police had arrested seven suspects in one of the biggest bank heists in history — and none of the hundreds of people involved in 27 countries used a gun or bomb threat, or even set foot inside a bank lobby. U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch compared the sophisticated, "surgical" heist — which netted $45 million in two separate operations — to the casino-theft movie Ocean's Eleven. (Watch an NBC News report on the heist below.)

The network of hackers and street criminals "participated in a massive 21st-century bank heist that reached across the internet and stretched around the globe," Lynch said at a news conference. The plot sounds ready-made for Hollywood. To give a sense of the scope of this operation, here are some key numbers:

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.