What is Ploutus malware? Why did the FBI give a $20 million ATM jackpot warning?:

News India Live, Digital Desk: In the digital world, the word ‘Jackpot’ has no longer become a symbol of happiness, but of fear for banks. According to the FBI, Ploutus Using malware, criminals ‘hack’ the ATM machine in such a way that it starts spitting out notes like a deck of cards, without any card or bank account. This process is called ‘jackpotting’.

1. What is ATM Jackpotting? (What is Jackpotting?)

Just as all the coins fall out when a jackpot is hit in a slot machine, similarly in this attack the criminals take control of the ATM software. They order the machine to take out all the cash inside it. In this attack, money is not deducted from a customer’s bank account, but the bank’s money is directly stolen.

2. How does Ploutus malware work? (How it works)

According to the FBI report, the criminals’ methods are quite vicious:

Physical Access: Criminals often open the top or face of the ATM using a fake master key.

Hard Drive Tampering: They take out the hard drive of the ATM and Ploutus Load malware or replace the old drive with your ‘infected’ drive.

Software Control: This malware takes advantage of the flaws in Windows OS and starts sending instructions directly to the ‘cash dispenser’ unit of the ATM, thereby bypassing the bank’s security system.

[Image showing a hacked ATM dispensing cash rapidly with ‘Ploutus Malware Detected’ alert on screen]

3. Year 2025: ‘Jackpot’ year of theft

The figures released by the FBI are scary:

More than 700 attacks: There were more than 700 jackpotting incidents in the US in 2025 alone.

$20 million loss: Banks suffered a loss of more than ₹166 crore in these attacks.

1900 cases: A total of 1,900 such cases have been registered since 2020.

4. Precautions suggested by FBI (Security Tips)

Although this attack does not directly affect customers’ cards, banks and ATM operators have been asked to keep the following things in mind:

Change Master Lock: Replace the old and generic locks of ATM with modern ‘high-security locks’.

IP Whitelisting: Allow only trusted networks to connect to the ATM.

Hardware Protection: Install alarm and additional protective shield on the top body of the ATM.

Software Update: Stop using older versions of Windows and install the latest security patches.