How Tech-Savvy Thugs Stole Sh14 Million from Barclays Bank ATMs in Nairobi

Details have emerged on how tech-savvy criminals stole Sh14 million from four Barclays Bank ATMs in Nairobi last weekend.

Citizen TV reports that detectives from the cybercrime unit suspect that the robbers jack-potted the machines to spit money.

Jack-potting is a technique used by hackers to electronically interfere with an ATM machine and command it to release all its content.

CCTV footage from one of the affected ATMs shows a masked middle-aged man carrying a backpack making his way into a Toyota Probox vehicle with two other suspects onboard.

The Head of Cyber Security at Internet Solutions Kenya, Bright Mawudor says jack-potting cannot be successful unless there is a well-coordinated inside job.

“An operational security risk where someone from the inside has been able to give access to someone from the outside,” says Mawudor.

The technique involves hackers coding an ATM machine using a computer or mobile phone before commanding it to release cash.

“Even if you manage to get to the safe you must have prior knowledge on ATM installation and software,” adds Mawudor.

The Star reports that a 28-year-old driver was arrested on Wednesday and a Probox car impounded in connection with the heist.