Cyber Criminals Are Planning Widespread ATM Heists, Brian Krebs Says

(Bloomberg) -- An organized crime ring is likely to attempt a “large-scale theft” of cash from U.S. ATMs in coming days, a closely watched cyber-security website reported.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned banks that cyber criminals are ready to begin a choreographed attack called an “ATM cash-out,” according to the Krebs on Security website, run by Brian Krebs, a journalist who specializes in high-tech crime.

The confidential FBI alert was shared with banks on Friday, Krebs reported. Criminals would gain entry to networks using malware, gaining customer information and allowing the theft of funds from ATMs, the website reported.

Authorities in the U.S. and worldwide have been coping with an outbreak of “jackpotting,” in which criminals manipulate technology to access all the cash in an ATM.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Reichl in San Francisco at dreichl@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael J. Moore at mmoore55@bloomberg.net, Josh Friedman, Nick Baker

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