Hacker Steals $500K From NYC Socialite

Cyber-thief got into her email, impersonated her
By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 7, 2011 4:09 PM CST
Cyber-thief Steals Half a Million Dollars From Manhattan Socialite and Businesswoman Candia Fisher
An email hacker seems to have struck gold in Manhattan.   (Shutterstock)

A billionaire Manhattan socialite got swindled out of about $550,000 last week after a hacker broke into her email account, reports the New York Post. The online bandit got access to personal information about Candia Fisher, a member of the Fisher Brothers real estate clan, and used it to impersonate her and have cash wired to banks in Australia. Fisher, 64, was especially vulnerable because she does almost all of her business via email, notes the Post.

The digital heist was finally halted after a financial secretary at the company questioned a clueless Candia about the transfers. Authorities say it's uncertain whether the money will be recovered. This is not the first time a member of the prosperous family has been targeted for thievery. In the 1960s, armed robbers did it the old-fashioned way, breaking into the Manhattan apartment of Candia's mother and grabbing millions in jewels. (More candia fisher stories.)

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