Anonymous launches new operation targeting big banks

Hacktivist collective Anonymous and hacking group Teamp0ison have announced that they will be joining their forces once again and starting another operation against banks.

They call it OpRobinHood, and apparently it will consist of stealing credit card details from big banks in order to use it to make donations to charities and others.

“In regards to the recent demonstrations and protests across the globe, we are going to turn the tables on the banks,” they state. “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. Operation Robin Hood will take credit cards and donate to the 99% as well as various charities around the globe. The banks will be forced to reimburse the people there money back.”

The operation is meant to damage the banks’ financial standing as well as their reputation, and as such it should continue the work initiated by the Operation Cash Back, with which bank users were urged to close their accounts and transfer the money to accounts opened with credit unions.

“Operation Robin Hood urges YOU, to now move your accounts into secure credit unions, before it’s too late while we hit them from the inside,” they say, but don’t reveal whether the stolen information will be used by them or made public for the “99%” to use.

Allegedly, Chase, Bank of America, and CitiBank have already been hit with big breaches, and credit cards issued by them have been used to make donations.

While is true that in most cases the bank is required to refund the money taken through fraudulent transactions if the credit card owner can prove it happened, I can’t imagine the recipients of that money – even if they are charities – being allowed to keep it. So, I’m very interested in seeing how successful this operation proves to be, and how the groups intend to pull it off.