Over half a million dollars stolen from ATMs in "jackpotting" scheme

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Four men person been federally charged for allegedly stealing much than fractional a cardinal dollars successful a "jackpotting" strategy that targeted ATM machines crossed Connecticut, authorities said. "Jackpotting" is simply a benignant of heist method that involves utilizing hardware oregon malware to unit an ATM to dispense the wealth it has stored inside.

Euclides Moreno Itanare, 28, Willian Ricardo Flores, 49, Alberto Jose Freites Arvilla, 41, and Luis Jose Freites Arvilla, 38, person each been arrested successful transportation with the alleged scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut and the Federal Bureau of Investigation successful New Haven. Each antheral faces charges for interstate proscription of stolen spot and conspiracy. If convicted, they could person up to 10 years successful situation for the archetypal complaint and up to 5 years successful situation for the second.

Authorities said the men are from Raleigh, North Carolina; the Bronx and Queens, New York; and Lynn, Massachusetts. They're each besides Venezuelan citizens, according to the territory lawyer and the FBI.

The men allegedly tried to bargain currency from astatine slightest 9 ATM machines astatine assorted sites successful Connecticut, respective of which were located on Interstate 95, betwixt Aug. 8 and Aug. 18, 2025, national authorities said. The thefts occurred astatine 8 ATMs, successful the metropolis of Milford and astatine remainder stops successful Fairfield, Branford, Madison and Darien. A ninth ATM successful the metropolis of Ansonia was equipped with bundle that prevented the theft from going through.

Of the wealth taken from those 8 machines, the men allegedly stole $529,220.

The incidents were captured connected surveillance footage, which appeared to amusement that each theft was carried retired successful a akin way, authorities said. Luis Freites Arvilla acted arsenic "a lookout" portion Alberto Freites Arvilla opened the ATM and accessed its interior parts earlier leaving the area. Over the adjacent respective hours, Luis Freites Arvilla, Itanare and Flores would instrumentality turns withdrawing currency from the machine, successful immoderate cases changing their apparel earlier approaching the aforesaid ATM aggregate times.

"Jackpotting" incidents are connected the emergence successful the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI. In a study issued successful February, national investigators said that of 1,900 incidents reported since 2020, much than 700 of them occurred successful 2025 alone. Those resulted successful much than $20 cardinal stolen, according to the report.

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