A Fairfax County ATM was emptied of $175,000 in a sophisticated theft scheme known as “jackpotting,” and police are now seeking public help to identify the suspects involved.
According to Fox News, jackpotting is a cyber-physical crime in which thieves install malware or a “black box” device on an ATM to override its security system.
Once connected, the criminals can force the machine to dispense cash without a card or transaction, either remotely or through direct manipulation, the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) explained.
The heist began on Oct. 3 at a drive-thru Apple Federal Credit Union ATM in Fair Oaks. Police said an unknown man used a key to gain access to the machine around 10:20 p.m., though the exact method of theft remains under investigation.
At 12:30 a.m. the following day, the same individual returned in a blue Jeep and accessed the ATM again. Surveillance footage later captured him coming back 45 minutes later, this time with a second person. The pair reportedly spent about 15 minutes at the ATM while recording their actions on their phones, authorities said.
By 2 a.m., an unmasked suspect arrived in the Jeep and began withdrawing cash from the ATM without inserting a card, holding a phone near the machine. The suspect briefly left and returned nine minutes later, continuing to extract funds until 2:44 a.m.
Police are appealing to the public to help identify the suspects and recover the stolen money.
Jackpotting has become a growing concern nationwide. In 2024, six Venezuelan nationals were indicted for stealing over $400,000 from four ATMs in New York. Likewise, Georgia authorities sought public assistance in investigating similar thefts at standalone ATMs at gas stations last year, where suspects used malware to bypass security systems.
“These crimes are highly organized and dangerous, and community assistance is critical in holding perpetrators accountable,” FCPD said.
The Fairfax case underscores the increasing sophistication of ATM-targeted crimes and the ongoing challenge law enforcement faces in keeping digital and physical banking systems secure.
