Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 30
Four Venezuelans Charged in $529,000 Connecticut ATM Scheme as FBI Probes Wider Thefts
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 30

Four Venezuelans Charged in $529,000 Connecticut ATM Scheme as FBI Probes Wider Thefts

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 30

Summary

  • $529,000 in alleged thefts over 10 days led federal prosecutors to charge four Venezuelan nationals with interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy after their June 25 arrests.
  • Prosecutors said the group used specialized hardware, malware, cards and PINs to open ATM hoods and make machines dispense cash at I-95 rest stops and other Connecticut sites, with one man acting as lookout.
  • Fairfield alone accounted for an alleged $136,000 haul, while Darien hits topped $177,000; an attempted theft in Ansonia failed because a software patch blocked the attack.
  • Surveillance footage, phone records, Google and Apple account data, and photos allegedly showing compromised ATMs and suspects counting cash in New York helped build the case.
  • The FBI said the investigation is ongoing into possible linked thefts, as U.S. authorities reported more than 700 ATM jackpotting incidents and over $20 million in losses in 2025 alone.

Insights

Are outdated ATMs in the U.S. unintentionally funding a violent transnational criminal organization's expansion?
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