Google, Facebook were scammed of millions by an ordinary scammer
Silicon Valley is nerdy, but that didn't stop one man to trick Facebook and Google of over $100 million by pulling a scam that escaped past seasoned eyes of two organizations that supposedly have the smartest people in the world. One cannot help but grudgingly admire how he managed to pull it off single-handedly and went scot-free until recently. Here's all about it.
You have heard of I-am-fake enterprises, right?
Evaldas Rimasauskas, 48, tricked the two tech giants into wiring more than $100m into his accounts from 2013-2015 by posing as an Asia-based manufacturer. He deftly forged invoices, made up contracts and even wrote emails regularly, updating the firms about the proceedings and surprisingly Facebook and Google went ahead with it, without batting an eyelid or running a proper background check.
"Even the most sophisticated" fall
Acting US Attorney Joon H. Kim said, "From half a world away, Evaldas Rimasauskas allegedly targeted multinational internet companies and tricked their agents and employees into wiring over $100 million to overseas bank accounts under his control. This case should serve as a wake-up call to all companies - even the most sophisticated ones - that they too can be victims of phishing." Burn!
So, how did it feel?
A Google spokeswoman said, "We recouped the funds and we're pleased this matter is resolved." While Facebook said, "Facebook recovered the bulk of the funds shortly after the incident and has been cooperating with law enforcement in its investigation." Both were, however, tight lipped about how much they were scammed off by Rimasauskas.
David vs Goliath: 2017 edition
It is needless to say that this incident has put a harsh light on Facebook and Google who we trust on a daily basis with our sensitive information and financial data in one way or the other. The lesson learnt here is that if you think you are too big to be swindled, be sure that someone will make a fool out of you.
