Federal Prosecutors Allege $300 Million Hacking Scheme Involved Data Theft From Dozens Of US Companies

From 2005 until just last summer, five men ran a hacking scheme that made them more than $300 million in illicit profits by stealing huge swathes of data from computer systems like the Nasdaq OMX Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:NDAQ) and Visa Inc. (NYSE:V), in what prosecutors are describing as one of the largest data breaches to date, according to federal court documents that were released to the public on Thursday.

The five men, who were living in Russia and the Ukraine at the time, were able to steal credit card and identity information from dozens of companies resulting in a global manhunt.

Two of the defendants are currently in custody, one in the Netherlands. The three others have been considered fugitives by New Jersey's Federal court.

The charges include carrying out a computer-hacking conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and unauthorized computer access.