A pair of Florida residents are currently under arrest, accused of illegally amassing a total of $14,400 as a result of an illicit hacking endeavor referred to as ‘jackpotting.’ This elaborate bout of crime, which focuses on unlawfully accessing Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) with an installation of malicious software that triggers the output of copious amounts of cash, is alleged to have been orchestrated by the two detainees. Both accused individuals, Venezuelans residing in Miami, have been implicated in the theft from Lakeview Bank, which is conveniently located on the eastern side of Interstate 35 along 163rd Street.
Agencies dealing with law enforcement alongside banking security officials have recognized ‘jackpotting’ as a newer method of thieving from ATMs. The criminal act first made its initial appearance in Minnesota around a year ago. Interestingly, ‘jackpotting’ was previously discovered as a mode of theft in regions of Europe and Asia around 2016, before eventually finding its way to the United States two years later.
In wake of this newfound threat, the U.S. Secret Service took it upon themselves to issue a warning to not only financial establishments, but also to different law enforcement agencies. The culprits of such operations generally vary, extending from individual provocateurs to extensive and organized criminal factions, involving both local and international syndicates, as denoted by the Secret Service.
The charged parties were reportedly seen gaining unauthorised access to the ATMs by deploying magnets and a collection of generic keys that are purposely designed to unlock the external structure of an ATM. A criminal indictment registered in Dakota County makes mention of an Lakeview Bank personnel who reported the stealing crime. The employee disclosee to an officer that they received an automated message alerting to the ATM’s critically low cash situation.
In a unanticipated turn of events, an officer detected that the controlling switch that is responsible for the opening and closing mechanism of the ATM’s safe was damaged. There is currently an unidentified third accomplice in this ATM hacking incident. It’s not something unexpected that ATMs have always lured in thieves given their monetary dispensing capacity.
Earlier methods of ATM intrusion, such as ‘ATM Skimming,’ involved a small device being inserted either within or externally on the ATM. This device was then used to tape and store customers’ confidential credit card details, a technique that dates back almost two decades. However, in recent times, offenders have resorted to a relatively primitive approach: using a heavy-duty chain attached to an ATM’s cash outlet, subsequent pantomimed acceleration is utilized to forcefully open the sturdy vault door.
A novel trend, originating within Minnesota this year, employs the ‘jackpotting’ mechanism. In this approach, miscreants manage to obtain a key to access the superior parts of an ATM, subsequently infect the hard drive with bespoke malware, and consequently gain complete control over the ATM functions. Recently, law enforcement agencies have been able to corner some alleged culprits of such sophisticated crimes.
In a case that arose in May, a Miami resident was indicted in a California federal court for an alleged ‘jackpotting’ scheme. The operation involved filching upwards of $2.6 million from an amalgamation of credit unions and banks across several states. The theft essentially begins when culprits procure a key, typically via online platforms, that permits the upper segment of an ATM to be unlocked.
In order to combat the escalating issue of ‘jackpotting’, several security procedures are being adopted at different levels. These include the installment of warning systems on the top cover of ATMs, alongside the prevention of lucrative attacks by ensuring that the hard drive features encryption – a task carried out by regularly updating the installed anti-malware software. It’s apparent that this constellation of concerted efforts between law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, and security professionals is necessary, to counter the evolving onslaught of sophisticated theft techniques and maintain the sanctity of these indispensable machines.