I used to work in IT for a finance company. We had an ATM machine hacked.

Several military units had signed payroll projects with our firm. In order to make it more convenient for the military, we installed ATMs right in the military compound and in a separate area where the military usually bought and rented flats. The place of installation was a shopping mall of district importance. It sold clothes, watches, pants and many other things. There was also a pub and a grocery shop.

Background

Up to that point, there had been no problems with the ATMs. The only trouble was caused by mice and cockroaches. They were happy to inhabit the warm unit. I had to maintain the ATMs and make minor repairs. I had to constantly clean the electronic-mechanical device of foreign organics. That’s why I secretly wished that this shopping centre would finally be closed.

Before performing the cleaning, I made sure to take a picture and send it to the warranty company. She would pass it on to the structures. Penalties were imposed on the shop. The pest control service was called in. But after a while, it would happen again.

Investigating a hacked ATM

This particular ATM was broken into one night. I was sent as a technical representative to the scene. As investigators were working in the shop, we were not allowed in. We had to wait outside for quite a long time. It was assumed that several million had been stolen from the ATM. That is why the police were incredibly serious. The investigation was in full swing.

When the collectors arrived, they let us into the shop. It turned out that the whole ATM had just been turned around. There was no money in it. The burglars had thrown in a bolt cutter, a drill, and a large number of locksmith’s tools.

I was allowed to switch on the ATM in order to withdraw the balance. The result of the collection is printed on the receipt. When the cashier saw it, she gave it to the security officer. He looked at it several times. Then he demanded to see the balance on the screen again. It was decided to turn everything off and wrap it up.

It turned out that on the day of the ATM break-in, the military had a payroll. The cash register loaded the ATM in the morning. But in the evening it was almost zeroed out. There was no more than 120,000 euros left in it. That is what the hapless burglars took. Considering the price of the equipment they abandoned, they got a lot less. Insurance was able to cover the losses and the cost of the ATM itself.

The criminals were found. They were from another region and had broken into the ATM on a tip-off. They had made a thorough search of the entire shop beforehand. Before it was closed, hats were put over the sensors. The doors were broken into at night and they were able to pick at the ATM until morning.

The ransacked ATM was removed from this shopping centre. While we were buying a new one, a new supermarket opened opposite this shopping centre. It was decided to install the ATM there. But I didn’t work in the firm at the time and was doing something else entirely.