Five Venezuelan Nationals Caught Trying To Hack ATMs and Steal Cash in Kansas: DOJ

Five Venezuelan nationals have admitted to installing malware on Kansas ATMs in a failed attempt to steal cash.

The U.S. Department of Justice says the men pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank larceny following an FBI investigation into the failed incidents, which .

The group traveled from Indiana and tried to physically install malware on machines in Wamego and Manhattan to force cash payouts without legitimate transactions.

Both attempts failed with an alarm triggered in Wamego and no money dispensed at either site leading to arrests via surveillance footage days later.

Luis Alberto Velasquez-Artigas received a nine-month prison sentence while the others await sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser addressed the rising threat during remarks on the case.

“Jackpotting bandits are sweeping the nation. This particular group’s strategy was to specifically target ATMs they thought were by design more vulnerable to malware. Fortunately there is technology to help thwart jackpotting.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod noted the scheme exploits ATM vulnerabilities often without legitimate transactions and a February 2026 FBI report recorded 1,900 jackpotting incidents nationwide since 2020 including over 700 in 2025 that caused more than $20 million in losses.

Kriegshauser urged banks to invest in security updates to block unauthorized software and remote manipulation.

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The post Five Venezuelan Nationals Caught Trying To Hack ATMs and Steal Cash in Kansas: DOJ appeared first on The Daily Hodl.