--- title: "Clever Hackers Are Making ATMs Spit Out All Their Money" description: "A major ATM sales and services company is warning that thieves have found a new way of \"jackpotting\" ATM machines, causing them to spit out cash." date: "2020-07-22" modified: "2020-07-22" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/clever-hackers-atms-spit-out-money" categories: - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "ATM" - "atms" - "the digest" --- # Clever Hackers Are Making ATMs Spit Out All Their Money ![A major ATM sales and services company is warning that thieves have found a new way of "jackpotting" ATM machines, causing them to spit out cash.]() *\Image: TaxCredits.net/Victor Tangermann\* ## Make It Rain A major ATM sales and services company [is warning]() that thieves have found a new way of "jackpotting" ATM machines — causing them to spit out massive wads of cash, [*Ars Technica* reports](). Jackpotting involves attaching rogue devices called "black boxes" to open up programming interfaces inside the ATM machine's software and issue commands, forcing it to, proverbially, [make it rain](). According to [a statement]() issued by multinational banking solutions corporation Diebold Nixdorf, thieves have worked out a new way to get their hands of copious amounts of cash. ## Brute Force The hacks typically involve a combination of brute force and cyberattack savvy. "In the recent incidents, attackers are focusing on outdoor systems and are destroying parts of the fascia in order to gain physical access to the head compartment," reads the security alert. After getting inside of the ATM, the thieves hook up special USB devices, in order to trigger the banking machine to dispense money. ## Big in Europe According to Diebold Nixdorf, the new scheme is mostly occurring in "certain European countries," and appear**s** to largely affect one common type of ATM machine. Previous jackpotting approaches involved the use of black boxes that were even able to change the maximum amount a given ATM was authorized to spit out. There is a silver lining to the latest hack, as *Ars Technica* points out. The thieves' new approach doesn't seem to target the retrieval of personal banking information, as has been the case with previous schemes. **READ MORE:** [Crooks have acquired proprietary Diebold software to “jackpot” ATMs]() \[*Ars Technica*\] **More on ATMs:** *[This Malware Makes ATMs Spit Out All Their Money]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()