FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va.—Apple Federal Credit Union is at the center of a jackpotting investigation after $175,000 was stolen from an ATM at one of its Fairfax branches, according to reporting from Fox 5.
Police told the station the theft occurred in early October and appears to be the result of a coordinated, multi-step hack that allowed thieves to force the machine to dispense cash without a card.
According to Fox 5, surveillance footage shows a suspect accessing the drive-up ATM on Oct. 3 using a key. The same person allegedly returned several times overnight—first alone, then with an accomplice—spending extended periods at the machine and recording it with their phones. By 2 a.m., an unmasked suspect in the same Jeep began withdrawing large amounts of money simply by holding a phone toward the ATM.
Detectives told Fox 5 the technique matches a “jackpotting” attack, in which criminals compromise a machine—often through physical access, malware, or a black-box device—to override controls and trigger rapid, repeated cash withdrawals. Authorities continue to investigate.