News

European authorities round up 27 suspects in ATM 'black box' attacks

May 24, 2017

A law enforcement action involving the cooperation of several EU member states, Norway and the Europol European Cybercrime Center has paid off with the arrest of 27 individuals linked with ATM black box attacks across Europe.

The ATM jackpotting technique first appeared in Western Europe in 2015; most arrests took place in 2016 and 2017, with the most recent occurring this month in Spain, according to a Europol press release.

Alleged perpetrators were traced to a number of countries: the Czech Republic (3); Estonia (4); France (11); the Netherlands (2); Romania (2); Spain (2); and Norway (3).

In black box attacks, criminals gain access to the ATM top box by drilling or melting a hole in the ATM top box and physically connecting an external device such as a laptop. This device can then send relay commands directing the ATM to dispense all of its cash.

Perpetrators involved in ATM Black Box attacks come mainly from countries such as Romania, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine, Europol said in the release. Some of the investigations are ongoing and further arrests are expected in the near future.

Europol did not offer an estimate of total losses attributable to the 27 suspects, but said their take was "significant" and could be counted in the hundreds of thousands of euros.

Europol emphasized that most attacks are unsuccessful, but also encouraged the ATM industry to implement proper protective measures against the threat.

"Our joint efforts to tackle this new criminal phenomenon resulted in significant arrests across Europe," Europol EC3 head Steven Wilson said in the release. "However, the arrest of offenders is only one part of stopping this form of criminality. Increasingly we need to work closely with the ATM industry to design out vulnerabilities at [the] source and prevent the crime taking place. This industry and law enforcement cooperation combined with the work with banks and prosecutors can make a major difference in stopping this growing form of crime."