Home / Crime and Justice / ATM Jackpotters Nabbed: $500K Stolen in Heist
ATM Jackpotters Nabbed: $500K Stolen in Heist
30 Jun
Summary
- Four men arrested for allegedly stealing over $500,000 from ATMs.
- The suspects used specialized hardware and malware for the scheme.
- The heist targeted nine cash machines along I-95 over ten days.
Four men have been arrested and charged with federal offenses for allegedly orchestrating an elaborate "jackpotting" scheme that targeted ATMs along Interstate 95. The scheme, which spanned ten days in August, reportedly netted the suspects over $529,000 from at least nine cash machines.
Prosecutors detailed that the group employed specialized hardware and malware to corrupt the ATMs, compelling them to dispense large sums of cash. In a single instance at a Fairfield rest stop, over $136,000 was allegedly stolen. The scheme was thwarted at one machine in Ansonia due to a software patch.
The arrested individuals, all citizens of Venezuela, reside in New York, North Carolina, and Massachusetts. Surveillance footage indicated one man acted as a lookout while another accessed the ATM's internal components. The remaining suspects then withdrew cash over several hours, sometimes changing clothes to avoid detection.
The arrests followed a joint investigation by federal and local law enforcement agencies. The men are currently in custody and face charges of interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy, carrying potential prison sentences.
