Five Venezuelans Plead Guilty in US Court to ATM Jackpotting

In December 2025, five Venezuelan individuals attempted to install malware on ATMs in Wamego and Manhattan, Kansas, aiming to remotely activate the malware to dispense cash illicitly. Both attempts failed and were captured on surveillance cameras, leading to their arrest days later. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank larceny. The FBI has reported an increasing trend of ATM jackpotting nationwide, with over 1,900 incidents since 2020 and more than $20 million lost in 2025 alone. This case exemplifies the physical installation vector used in ATM jackpotting schemes.

The attempted ATM jackpotting could have led to unauthorized cash withdrawals causing financial losses to banks or ATM operators. Although these specific attempts were unsuccessful, the broader trend of ATM jackpotting has resulted in over $20 million in losses in 2025 alone in the US. The incident highlights the risk of physical compromise of ATM hardware to deploy malware for financial theft.

No direct remediation or patch applies as this is a physical attack involving malware installation on ATMs. Mitigation focuses on physical security controls to prevent unauthorized access to ATM internals, surveillance to detect suspicious activity, and law enforcement actions. The FBI and law enforcement agencies are actively investigating and prosecuting such cases. Organizations should follow guidance from law enforcement and ATM manufacturers on securing ATM hardware.