Former Israeli Bank Personnel Hold Employer’s Data for Ransom

Eight ex-employees tried to extort millions of shekels from Leumi Card Ltd., a credit card issuer affiliated with one of the nation’s largest banks.

The individuals threatened to sell the details of millions of credit cards of bank customers to the highest bidder, if they didn’t get the money.

The Israel Police Cyber Crimes Unit arrested seven of the ex-workers in Israel, and Thai and Israeli police arrested the ringleader, at his home in Thailand.

The investigation began two weeks ago, after Eliran Rosnis, the Thailand resident, contacted Leumi management with the blackmail message. The suspect had been living in Thailand for the better part of a year after the company fired him.

Investigators said he contacted bank management by using the “Dark Net,” a web of private network that allow Internet users to hide their computer’s location.

Rosnis told the bank that before leaving the company he copied the details of customers. The data included names, card numbers and government-issued ID card numbers. The information did not include security codes located on the back of cards or data on magnetic strips, which could have been used to clone the cards.