Hacktivists take aim at US banks

Hacktivist group Anonymous has teamed up with TeaMp0isoN in a credit card campaign in the US that aims to take money out of bank accounts and donate it to charities.

In a statement, the groups say they have joined forces under the banner “p0isAnon” in response to the Occupy Movement. According to the hacktivist coalition, its new venture, “Operation Robin Hood”, will take aim at banks.

“We have watched our brothers and sisters being refused their hard-earned money by the banks on top of being beaten and brutalised by officers during peaceful demonstrations. Congratulations banks, you have gotten our attention,” the coalition threatens.

Operation Robin Hood will fall under an existing campaign, “Operation Cash Back”. According to the statement, cash from over 500 000 accounts has already been taken and transferred to credit unions under Operation Cash Back.

“[W]e are going to turn the tables on the banks. Operation Robin Hood is going to return the money to those who have been cheated by our system and most importantly to those hurt by our banks,” says the coalition.

According to the statement, the group has already taken from Chase, Bank of America, and CitiBank credit cards and “returned” the money to the poor.

The group says it will take from credit cards and donate to the “99%” and charities across the globe. They also insist banks will be forced to reimburse the credit cardholders.

Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx, argues that while the hacktivists' intentions may be good, their approach is absurd. “They are behaving like school kids who have no insight in to the consequences of what they are doing.”

Goldstuck adds that compromising credit cards will turn the public against these groups. Moreover, he says no serious charity would accept stolen money.

He argues that the intention of the coalition is more likely to undermine existing institutions of capitalism than redressing imbalances by redistributing wealth. In this sense, Goldstuck says they are aligned to the Occupy Movement. “However, the moment theft is involved, they cross a line into pure criminality and vandalism.

“If they continue down that path, it is highly likely cyber criminals will piggyback on their activities to create a veneer of supposedly people-friendly philosophy over decidedly criminal activity,” Goldstuck warns.