New York man charged in Rock Hill’s first ATM jackpotting attempt, police say

A New York man faces a series of charges for what police call a first-of-its-kind scam for Rock Hill.

Rock Hill Police Department officers say video of the crime shows Johan Gonzalez Antonio Jimemez, 39, allegedly breaking into an ATM after midnight Sunday at a First Bank ATM on Oakland Avenue. Police recovered a lockpick tool, screwdriver, laptop and two phones, an incident report stated.

Bank officials told Rock Hill officers the man installed malware into the ATM in an attempt to have the machine give out money.

The incident is believed to be an attempt at ATM jackpotting , Rock Hill police Lt. Michael Chavis said.

What is ATM jackpotting?

ATM jackpotting is a cyberattack that attempts to empty money from the machine, according to Chavis, other news stories and federal law enforcement warnings.

The U.S. Secret Service says ATM jackpotting is “a sophisticated crime in which thieves install malicious software and/or hardware at ATMs that force the machines to dispense huge volumes of cash on demand. To execute a jackpotting attack, perpetrators must gain physical access to the cash machine and install malware, or specialized electronics, or a combination of both to control the operations of the ATM.”

It is a different crime from skimmers that are used to try and steal PIN numbers from cards put on ATMs or gas pump card readers.

Sunday’s ATM jackpotting incident is believed to be the first in the city, Chavis said.

The Rock Hill arrest

Officers went to the scene Sunday morning around 12:15 a.m. for a reported burglary in progress, the incident report stated. They arrested Jimenez after a car near the bank fled a traffic stop, a police report shows. Another person in the car who ran away was not caught, Chavis said.

Jimenez faces charges of entering a bank with intent to steal, and possession of burglary tools, according to police and jail records.

It is unclear why Jimenez was in Rock Hill.

No description of the second suspect is available, Chavis said. Rock Hill financial crimes detectives are continuing the investigation.

No money was stolen Sunday, police said.

Jimenez remains in the York County jail under a $125,000 bond.