Ever driven up to an ATM and found the machine empty? Maybe there was a run on a cash, or maybe some crook hit the "jackpot," and the ATM owner doesn't even know the machine is empty.
"Jackpotting" an ATM with malware isn't anything new. Thieves input a little malicious code in the ATM's computer, and the ATM dispenses all its cash. A few years ago, thieves in Mexico walked off with $40 million in cash. A hacking group called Carbanak stole $1.2 billion in Eastern Europe.
While there have been a few cases of jackpotting in the U.S., most of the heists were smallish (thousands of dollars).
Enter Carlos Luis Vera La Cruz and Danail Konstantinov Damov.
According to a recent indictment, Vera La Cruz and Damov are accused of jackpotting ATMs in California, Connecticut, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and probably other states too.
The known amount they allegedly stole ...
... $2.6 million.
But the indictment implies that it's probably more.
They are currently facing nine counts of conspiracy, bank larceny, and computer fraud.
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