ATM Jackpotting, in which thieves/hackers use a variety of tools to hack into ATMs and cause them to dispense large amounts of cash on demand, has been a legitimate threat for several years now. Until now however, jackpotting was mostly a threat in Europe, Asia, and Mexico. According to the Krebs report, the US Secret Service recently sent out a confidential alert to multiple financial institutions warning that the “targeted stand-alone ATMs are routinely located in pharmacies, big box retailers, and drive-thru ATMs.” The thieves have been posing as ATM technicians and, using a medical endoscope, locate an area within the machine where they can attach their own computers. The original hard disk of the ATM is removed and replaced with a disk that mirrors the ATM’s own software. At that point, the ATM appears out of service to regular customers, while fraudsters can remotely control it and force it to spit out cash, using “money mules” to actually collect t...
