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Chinese programmer who found ATM system flaw gets 10 years in prison

February 12, 2019

A computer programmer at China's Huaxia Bank who found a flaw in the FI's core system and used it to withdraw more than $1 million from ATMs will spend the next decade in prison. 

In 2016, Qin Qisheng discovered that cash withdrawals made around midnight were not recorded to the core, a report by South China Morning Post said.

He then began to make withdrawals in amounts ranging from approximately $740 to $3,000, which were passed through the bank's dummy test account into his personal account.

By the time the unusual use of the dummy account was discovered, Qin had amassed about $1 million in withdrawals. He explained to the bank that he was merely testing internal security, an explanation that the bank, for various reasons, was willing to accept.

However, local authorities saw the situation differently and arrested Qin for theft, even though he had already returned the money to the bank. 

Despite the bank's request that the charges be dropped, Qin was convicted and sentenced to 10.5 years in prison and fined $1,600. His appeal of the sentence was denied.