Reported by 4 outlets

Timeline

1. original reporting

   Five Venezuelans plead guilty to ATM jackpotting attacks in US

   bleepingcomputer.com · 42d ago · September 1st, 2026

   Five Venezuelan nationals pleaded guilty to attempting to empty automated teller machines (ATMs) using malware in a series of ATM jackpotting attacks. 27-year-old Luis Alberto Velasquez-Artigas, 29-year-oldRoyder Adrian Figuera-Perez, 27-year-old Javier Mejia, Jr, 33-year-old Gabriel Alexjandro Corales-Garcia, 33, and 26-year-old Italo Lizandro Corrales-Carrillo have all pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank larceny. While Velasquez-Artigas has already been sentenced to nine months in prison, the other defendants are awaiting sentencing. "Jackpotting bandits are sweeping the nation. This particular group’s strategy was to specifically target ATMs they thought were by design more vulnerable to malware," said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser . "Fortunately, there is technology to help thwart jackpotting. We at the U.S. Attorney’s Office encourage banks and other financial institutions to invest in these updates, and we’re happy to answer questions about how to do so." In recent years, criminals have used ATMii , ATMitch , GreenDispenser , Alice , RIPPER , Skimer , SUCEFUL , and Ploutus malware to steal cash in ATM jackpotting attacks. The criminals install malware on the ATM's internal computer, which they can control using an attached USB keyboard or the built-in PIN pad, to issue commands to the internal cash dispenser and empty the money storage cassette. The five defendants were arrested in December 2025, days after failing to install malware in ATM jac

2. update from securityweek.com

   Five Venezuelans Plead Guilty in US Court to ATM Jackpotting

   securityweek.com · 42d ago · September 1st, 2026

   According to court documents, in December 2025, the five individuals traveled from Indiana for their attempted ATM jackpotting operation. The defendants planned to install malware on ATMs and then remotely activate it to force the device to dispense cash. Both their attempts were unsuccessful, but both were caught by surveillance cameras. “This case highlights a growing trend the FBI and our law enforcement partners are seeing nationwide involving a scheme known as ‘jackpotting’,” FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod said. In February 2026, the FBI warned that ATM jackpotting incidents have been increasing across the US. Over 1,900 such incidents have occurred since 2020, with over 700 of them (causing more than $20 million in losses) registered in 2025 alone. Last week, the US announced that 27-year-old Venezuelan

3. update from cyberpress.org

   Five Venezuelans Plead Guilty to Attempted ATM Malware Jackpotting Attacks

   cyberpress.org · 42d ago · September 1st, 2026

   Court documents describe a two-stage operation: one conspirator would physically install malware on the targeted ATM , and the group would later transmit a remote command instructing the machine to dispense cash for collection. Five Venezuelans Plead Guilty The scheme faltered at both locations. In Wamego, the attempt to install malware triggered an alarm, prompting a law enforcement response before the crew could return. In Manhattan, the group successfully approached the machine but failed to force a cash dispensing. Surveillance footage captured both attempts, leading to the group’s arrest within days. Jackpotting is a physical-cyber hybrid attack in which criminals gain direct access to an ATM’s internals, often via an endoscope, service key, or exposed port, to deploy malware or a malicious hardware

4. update from gbhackers.com

   Five Plead Guilty to Using ATM Jackpotting Malware in Cash Theft Scheme

   gbhackers.com · 42d ago · September 1st, 2026

   The case arose from an FBI investigation into an alleged scheme to force automated teller machines (ATMs) to dispense […] The post Five Plead Guilty to Using ATM Jackpotting Malware in Cash Theft Scheme appeared first on GBHackers Security | #1 Globally Trusted Cyber Security News Platform .