Digital Robbery ATM Hacking and Implications

This book begins with a broader discussion of cybercrime and attacks targeting ATMs and then focuses on a specific type of cybercrime named “ATM Hacking.” It discusses ATM Hacking from a more full scope of aspects, including technology, modus operandi, law enforcement, socio-economic and geopolitical context, and theory development.  After unpacking a classic case of ATM Hacking and its modus operandi, implications for cybersecurity and prevention, intra- and inter-agency collaboration, and theory development are presented.

This book also demonstrates the analysis of extensive qualitative data collected from a high-profile case in which European criminal group hacked into a London voice mail server belonging to a Taiwanese financial institution – First Commercial Bank,. Then it programmed dozens of ATMs to “spit out” millions of dollars of cash. The successful crackdown on this type of crime is rare, if not unique, while the number of similar crimes has increased enormously in recent years and the trend seem to continue unabatingly. Further, the implications go beyond a country or a continent. Intra- and inter-agency collaboration among players of law enforcement is essential to the case especially in the police context of “turf jealousies.”

The authors seek to document the ways in which agencies collaborate, as well as the perceived benefits and challenges of cooperation. Whether the broader political and contextual climates in which these agencies operate, limit the extent to which they can cooperate.

This book is useful as a reference for researchers and professionals working in the area of cybercrime and cybersecurity. University professors can also use this book as a case study for senior seminars or graduate courses.

S.-Y. Kevin Wang, Ph.D., earned his doctoral and master’s degree from the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University (FSU), and a specialist degree of information sciences from FSU. In addition to his academic training, he has about a decade long full-time working experience in the field of juvenile justice, program evaluation, and data analysis in the U.S.  Dr. Wang receives Fulbright Scholar Award in 2020-21, and he is one of the receivers of National Institute of Justice - Graduate Research Fellowship 2009-10. His publications can be found in International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, International Criminal Justice Review, UCLA Law Review, International Journal of Cyber Criminology, and other referred sources.

Ming-Li Hsieh, PhD, is an assistant professor in Criminal Justice Program at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Her research includes an examination of cyber crime and policing, risk assessment instruments, crime control policies and comparative criminal justice. Her recent work has been published in a number of well-respected journals including Journal of Interpersonal Violence, International Journal of Cyber Criminology, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Criminal Justice Policy Review, International Criminal Justice Review, and Feminist Criminology, among others. Dr. Hsieh was awarded the Braswell/Routledge Outstanding Dissertation Award at the 2017 ACJS meeting. This year she was awarded the Dorothy Bracey/Janice Joseph Minority and Women New Scholar Award at the 2021 ACJS meeting.