The brazen heists unfolded along Interstate 95 in Connecticut, where at least nine ATMs at motorway service stations were targeted by an alleged gang of 'jackpotting' thieves. Between August 8th and 18th, 2025, the group managed to extract a staggering $529,220 (approximately £415,000) from eight machines. The most audacious incident took place at a northbound rest stop in Fairfield, where they allegedly took $136,000 (around £107,000) from a single ATM.
The sophisticated scheme involved the use of specialised equipment and malicious software to force cash machines to dispense large sums of money over several hours. Court documents detail a consistent pattern of behaviour for each theft, with Luis Freites Arvilla acting as a lookout while his brother Alberto accessed the internal components of the ATM. The trio – along with accomplices Euclides Moreno Itanare and Willian Ricardo Flores – would then take turns withdrawing cash from the machine.
The four Venezuelan nationals, aged 38 to 49, were arrested last Thursday following a joint investigation by the FBI, Connecticut state police, and police departments in North Carolina and New York. The men face federal charges including interstate transportation of stolen property (which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years) and conspiracy (with up to five years imprisonment if convicted).
A software patch implemented to prevent such robberies thwarted an attempt at another machine in Ansonia on the first day of the alleged spree, suggesting that authorities may have been onto their trail. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by 'jackpotting' attacks, which have been warned about by major ATM manufacturers and the US Secret Service since 2018.
The four men remain in custody pending court proceedings, with warnings issued for ATMs at rest stops along Interstate 95. The alleged heists are believed to be part of a larger pattern of 'jackpotting' activity in the region, highlighting concerns over cybersecurity and law enforcement's ability to combat these complex crimes.