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US DOJ Charges 54 in ATM ‘Jackpotting’ Scheme Using Malware and Phishing – December 2025

Author/Source: The Hacker News See the full link here

Takeaway

This article explains how the US Department of Justice has charged 54 people involved in a scheme to steal money from ATMs. You will learn about how criminals used special software and tricks to force ATMs to give out cash.


Technical Subject Understandability

Beginner


Analogy/Comparison

This crime is like tricking a vending machine with a special remote control to make it drop all its items for free without paying.


Why It Matters

This type of crime caused millions of dollars in losses for banks and credit unions. For example, one group involved in the scheme stole about $1.5 million from ATMs in Texas.


Related Terms

ATM jackpotting, malware, phishing. Jargon Conversion: ATM jackpotting is a crime where people use special computer programs to make an ATM machine give out all its money. Malware is a harmful computer program that can damage or access computers without permission. Phishing is a trick where criminals pretend to be a trusted company to get your personal information, like passwords, through emails or messages.

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