Gorman and Evan Perez in December 2009, the Wall Street Journal published claims that the FBI was "probing a computer-security breach targeting Citigroup Inc. that resulted in a theft of tens of millions of dollars by computer hackers who appear linked to a Russian cyber gang." The report implied that Black Energy was being used in the attack. However, within hours of publication, "Citigroup and a federal law enforcement source … refuted a claim that the bank's customers lost millions of dollars in an advanced cyber heist over the summer, leaving lingering questions over details of the alleged attack."

Even though that particular attack turned out to be illusory, the RBN really did organize an extraordinary attack known as the RBS WorldPay scam in November 2008. Eastern European criminals were able to hack past WorldPay's sophisticated encryption system used on payroll debit cards and extract information pertaining to these cards. They used the stolen data to create hundreds of fake automated teller machine (ATM) debit cards. Then simultaneously around the world, the organized crime group used these fake ATM cards to withdraw the maximum amounts permitted. They stole about $9 million from more than 2,100 ATMs in over 280 cities, in countries such as the United States, Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Italy, China, Japan and Canada in 12 hours. A year later, eight men were indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta.

In August 2010, one of the accused, Sergei Tšurikov, 26, of Tallinn, Estonia, was successfully extradited to the United States to stand trial. Unfortunately, in Russia, the alleged leader of the gang involved in the scheme, Victor Pleschuk, 28, was merely given a four-year suspended sentence (probation) and ordered to pay restitution of $8.9 million to RBS WorldPay. Readers can estimate for themselves the likelihood that Pleschuk will ever successfully repay this amount.