LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Two men have been arrested in connection with an alleged “ATM jackpotting” scheme after police responded to an alarm at a West Gate Bank branch early Saturday morning.
At approximately 1:30 a.m., Lincoln Police received an alarm from an Interactive Teller Machine (ITM) at the bank located near West O Street and Capitol Beach Boulevard. The branch manager reported observing a man wearing a surgical mask who opened the ITM door before fleeing in a white van.
Officers quickly located the van in a nearby parking lot and apprehended the suspects, identified as 31-year-old Luis Berdugo-Barraza and 34-year-old Carlos Padron.
A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed several items associated with the suspected theft, including a solid-state drive valued between $5,000 and $10,000, which is critical for the ITM’s functionality, according to the Lincoln Police Department.
Police described the incident as a clear case of “ATM jackpotting,” a method used by criminals to install malware on ATMs or ITMs to unlawfully withdraw significant amounts of cash.
Both Berdugo-Barraza and Padron were booked into the Lancaster County Jail on charges of possessing burglary tools, unlawfully manufacturing a financial transaction device, and theft by unlawful taking of $5,000 or more.
They were arraigned in Lancaster County Court on Monday afternoon, where a judge set their bonds at 10% of $150,000. Their next court appearance is scheduled for December 10.
