Two Charged With Jackpotting Theft
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The Justice Department announced charges against two for making a Connecticut ATM spit out cash.
The Justice Department on Monday announced it had charged two individuals, Alex Alberto Fajin-Diaz of Spain, and Argenys Rodriguez of Springfield, Massachusetts, with bank fraud for their alleged jackpotting scheme.
Jackpotting is a scheme where the perpetrators hack into an ATM and force it to quickly spit out thousands in cash. This type of crime has previously been spotted in Mexico, Asia and Europe. In January, the Secret Service sent a notice to financial institutions that it's reached U.S. ATMs.
Local police in Cromwell, Connecticut, responded to a report from Citizens Bank investigators. The suspects were found near an ATM rigged with malware to spew $20 bills. The suspects' car also contained hacking tools associated with jackpotting, as well as more than $9,000 in $20 bills.
According to the Justice Department, the charge of bank fraud carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
To prevent future incidents of jackpotting, the Secret Service recommends that banks that host ATMs should update their software immediately.