In a sophisticated phishing scheme that spanned from 2013 to 2015, Lithuanian national Evaldas Rimasauskas, along with unnamed associates, successfully defrauded tech giants Google and Facebook out of a staggering $122 million. The elaborate scam involved Rimasauskas posing as Quanta Computer, a legitimate hardware company based in Taiwan, which both Google and Facebook had previously done business with.
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Rimasauskas and his associates managed to deceive these companies by sending fraudulent invoices to the tune of $23 million to Google and $99 million to Facebook. These invoices appeared authentic, using spoofed email addresses and seemingly legitimate documentation to convince the companies’ finance departments to process the payments. Once the funds were transferred, they were funneled into various bank accounts in countries including Latvia, Cyprus, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, and Hong Kong.
The scam was uncovered when both Google and Facebook detected irregularities and promptly alerted authorities. Despite the successful transfer of funds, both companies were able to recover most of the money through swift action and cooperation with law enforcement.
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Rimasauskas was arrested in Lithuania in 2017 and subsequently extradited to the United States, where he faced charges of wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering. In 2019, he pleaded guilty to the charges in a Manhattan federal court. Although the maximum sentence for his crimes could have been up to 30 years in prison, Rimasauskas was sentenced to five years, along with two additional years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit $49.7 million and pay restitution of $26.5 million.
The case highlights the vulnerabilities even the largest and most sophisticated companies can face when it comes to phishing scams and business email compromise (BEC) schemes. It also serves as a stark reminder of the importance of rigorous verification processes for financial transactions and the potential global reach of cybercriminal activities.
Google and Facebook have since reinforced their internal controls to prevent such incidents in the future, demonstrating the ongoing need for vigilance against evolving cyber threats.
This case, involving some of the most well-known companies in the world, underscores the potential impact of cybercrime on even the most prepared and resource-rich organizations, making it a significant example in the ongoing battle against digital fraud.
