U.S. federal authorities have reported a significant surge in sophisticated ATM thefts known as jackpotting, with criminals stealing more than $20 million in 2025 alone. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a warning about the increasing frequency of these attacks across the country, which have totaled 1,900 incidents since the beginning of 2020.
Scope of the financial crime Wave
The FBI’s data reveals that 700 of the total jackpotting incidents occurred in the last year, indicating a sharp rise in this form of cyber-enabled physical theft. The $20 million in losses for 2025 contributes to a much larger cumulative financial impact. In a related announcement from December 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice stated that collective losses from such financial crimes have reached approximately $40.73 million.
ATM jackpotting, also termed logical attacks, involves criminals gaining physical access to a cash machine. They then use specialized electronic devices and malicious software to bypass the machine’s security protocols. This process allows them to remotely command the ATM to dispense all the cash in its cassettes, effectively emptying it in a matter of minutes.
Methodology and Targeting
These attacks are highly organized and often target standalone ATMs in locations like retail stores, pharmacies, and convenience stores. These machines may have weaker physical security compared to those at bank branches. Perpetrators typically pose as technicians to gain unsupervised access, installing a “black box” device that connects to the ATM’s internal computer.
Once connected, the device sends commands that force the machine to dispense cash. The criminals then collect the money and flee, often before the fraudulent activity is detected. The technique does not rely on skimming card data or compromising customer PINs; it directly attacks the machine’s core dispensing function.
Law Enforcement and Industry Response
The FBI’s warning is part of a broader effort to alert financial institutions, ATM operators, and the public. The bureau is working closely with other federal agencies, including the Secret Service and the Department of Justice, as well as private sector partners in the financial and ATM manufacturing industries.
Investigations into these crimes are complex, often spanning multiple jurisdictions. Law enforcement focuses on tracking the specialized hardware used in the attacks, following money trails, and using surveillance footage from targeted locations. The DoJ’s high dollar figure for collective losses underscores the scale of the ongoing investigative and prosecutorial effort.
Protective Measures and Recommendations
Security experts and the FBI recommend several steps to mitigate the risk of jackpotting. These include enhancing physical security for ATMs, using tamper-evident seals, implementing two-person rules for servicing, and ensuring all machines are updated with the latest security patches from manufacturers.
ATM operators are also advised to monitor machines for unauthorized physical access and to use transaction monitoring systems that can flag the abnormal, rapid cash depletion characteristic of a jackpotting attack. Increased public awareness can also help, as bystanders may report suspicious individuals appearing to perform unsanctioned maintenance on cash machines.
Future Outlook and Ongoing Efforts
The FBI anticipates that jackpotting crews will continue to target vulnerabilities in the physical and logical security of ATMs. The agency expects to release further detailed advisories to the financial sector as the threat evolves. Continued collaboration between international law enforcement, financial crime units, and security researchers is considered crucial to disrupting these criminal networks and developing more resilient ATM technologies.
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice
