ATM ‘jackpotting’ crime wave grows after thieves walk away with hundreds of thousands in cash

Authorities are searching for a radical of suspects aft constabulary accidental they walked distant with $175,000 successful currency from a Virginia ATM successful a rising transgression inclination nicknamed "jackpotting." 

Jackpotting is defined arsenic a cyber-physical transgression successful which thieves summation entree to an ATM by installing malware oregon a carnal "black box" instrumentality wrong the system, according to the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD). Criminals volition past entree the instrumentality either done a carnal transportation oregon remotely to override the installed information system, causing the ATM to rapidly dispense ample amounts of currency connected demand. 

The transgression spree began connected Oct. 3, erstwhile an chartless antheral approached an Apple Federal Credit Union drive-thru ATM successful Fair Oaks, a suburb located wrong of Fairfax, astatine astir 10:20 p.m., FCPD said successful a statement. Police accidental the idiosyncratic past utilized a cardinal to entree the ATM, though authorities bash not cognize what actions were taken erstwhile the instrumentality was opened. 

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Police are asking for the public’s assistance aft a radical of alleged thieves were caught stealing from an Apple Federal Credit Union slope ATM successful what is being called "jackpotting," successful Fairfax, Virginia past month. (Fairfax County Police Department)

At astir 12:30 a.m. the pursuing day, the aforesaid idiosyncratic reportedly arrived astatine the ATM portion driving a bluish Jeep and opened the aforesaid ATM again, according to police.

Surveillance video captured the fishy returning to the ATM conscionable 45 minutes aboriginal successful the aforesaid vehicle, but with a 2nd individual, constabulary said. The brace spent astir 15 minutes accessing the instrumentality arsenic they filmed their actions connected their phones, according to police.

By 2 a.m., an unmasked fishy driving the aforesaid Jeep arrived astatine the ATM and began withdrawing currency without inserting a paper oregon touching the machine, each portion holding his telephone adjacent the device, according to authorities. 

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The thieves allegedly walked distant with $175,000 successful currency aft constabulary accidental they targeted an ATM astatine an Apple Federal Credit Union slope successful Fairfax, Virginia, past month. (Fairfax County Police Department)

The idiosyncratic concisely left, but returned 9 minutes aboriginal and stayed until 2:44 a.m. arsenic withdrawals continued, constabulary said.

The Fairfax County Police Department is present asking for the public’s assistance successful identifying the suspects, who allegedly made disconnected with $175,000 successful currency from the ATM. 

The incidental is not the archetypal to marque nationalist headlines successful caller years. 

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"Jackpotting" is described arsenic a cyber-physical transgression successful which thieves entree an ATM utilizing malware oregon a carnal "black box" to retreat ample sums of cash.  (iStock)

In 2024, six Venezuelan nationals were indicted successful national tribunal aft prosecutors accidental they stole implicit $400,000 successful currency from 4 abstracted ATMs passim New York, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office successful the Northern District of New York.

Similarly, authorities successful Georgia asked for the public’s assistance arsenic they searched for 2 suspects wanted successful transportation with a jackpotting strategy targeting 2 standalone ATMs astatine abstracted state stations past year. The suspects allegedly made disconnected with thousands of dollars successful profits aft utilizing malware to instrumentality the machine’s information system, FOX 5 reported. 

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The Fairfax County Police Department did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for comment.