Florida Man Accused of 'ATM Jackpotting' at Credit Unions & Banks
Carlos Luis Vera La Cruz and others allegedly steal more than $2.6 million from CU and bank ATMs across multiple states.
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered that a Florida man remain in custody for an alleged “ATM jackpotting” scheme that stole more than $2.6 million from credit unions and banks across multiple states.
Carlos Luis Vera La Cruz, 44, of Miami, was arrested on charges of conspiracy, bank larceny, accessing a protected computer in furtherance of fraud and attempting to access a protected computer in furtherance of fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert in Sacramento, Calif., said. A second individual, whose name remains under seal, also faces the same charges.
According to court documents, Vera La Cruz and others engaged in an “ATM jackpotting” conspiracy that stole millions from ATMs at targeted credit unions and banks around the country. They allegedly did this by infecting the ATMs with malware, which forced the ATMs to dispense money without a valid transaction.
The indictment did not name the credit unions and banks that were targeted in this scheme.
California federal prosecutors alleged that on June 10 and 11, 2023, Vera La Cruz targeted a bank’s seven ATMs in Redding, Anderson, Cottonwood and Chico, stealing more than $291,000.
At this bank’s ATM on East Cyprus Road in Redding, for example, Vera La Cruz and others allegedly introduced malware via a foreign device. They subsequently activated the malware and caused the ATM to dispense $80,800 in increments of $800, according to the indictment. The accused fraudsters then retrieved the foreign device.
Vera La Cruz pleaded not guilty after he was arraigned on the charges in U.S. District Court in Sacramento on Tuesday.
Magistrate Judge Deborah Barnes ordered that Vera La Cruz be held in custody without bond based on clear and convincing evidence that no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person and the community, according to court documents.
Vera La Cruz’s next court appearance is scheduled for July.
Although ATM jackpotting has long threatened European and Asian banks, the U.S. Secret Service started warning financial institutions in 2018 of attacks targeting cash machines in the U.S. The malware can induce an ATM to dispense 40 bills in 23 seconds.