A brazen heist at a Connecticut service plaza has left authorities searching for the culprits who tampered with an ATM and made off with a significant amount of cash. The incident occurred on Monday morning, when state police received a report of a person attempting to break into an ATM at a service plaza off Interstate 395 North.
As troopers arrived on the scene, the suspect fled in a black BMW SUV with Pennsylvania plates. A high-speed chase ensued, during which the suspect allegedly threw several items out of the vehicle, including a backpack containing $52,000 in cash, a mobile hotspot, and an iPhone. The pursuit was eventually called off as the BMW sped away.
Earlier in the day, surveillance footage captured the BMW circling the service plaza around 7:15 a.m. Two males were seen entering the Exxon station at separate times, with one using a device to withdraw cash from the ATM. A witness reported seeing one of the suspects lingering near the ATM for an extended period, sparking her suspicions.
“I thought it was weird that he was standing there for so long,” the witness said. “He had a small bag in front of him, and the ATM screen had a lot of strange writing on it, like a hacker’s code.”
According to Connecticut State Police Sgt. Luke Davis, the crime is part of a growing national trend known as “jackpotting.” This sophisticated method involves using malware to bypass an ATM’s security systems and trigger a large cash payout.
“It’s much more advanced than the typical ATM smash-and-grab,” Davis explained. “This software can be used to hack into an ATM’s system and give the perpetrator a ‘jackpot payout’.”
Davis is urging businesses with ATMs to take precautions against these types of attacks by regularly updating their software and installing safeguards to protect against malware.
