Palembang. A Russian national has been arrested for attempting to steal from an ATM using cracking programs and a fast remote desktop application in the city of Palembang, police said on Monday.

The suspect, identified as Vladimir Kasarski, utilized the AnyDesk application and collaborated with a foreign hacker in Mexico to breach programs at a SumselBabel Bank ATM in the South Sumatra capital.

He targeted outdated ATMs lacking high-level encryption software protection, said Palembang Police Chief Harryo Sugihhartono.

“According to our investigation, the suspect collaborated with a hacker allegedly residing in Mexico. This hacker displayed a high level of sophistication, as evidenced by their ability to identify bank ATMs operating with outdated programs,” Harryo said.

Authorities are currently probing for potential accomplices involved in the ATM scam, he added.

During the criminal act, Kasarski employed a video call app on his cellphone, positioned atop the ATM to serve as a surveillance camera. He utilized his laptop to activate the AnyDesk app, placing it on a plastic stool inside the ATM vestibule and connecting it to the cash dispenser via a USB cable.

He then secured the door with a bicycle cable lock and affixed a sign reading “rusak” (out of order) before departing the vestibule and waiting in his car, explained the officer.

“Utilizing the AnyDesk app, the laptop was remotely operated by the hacker while Vladimir waited outside until the banknotes were dispensed,” Harryo said.

However, Kasarski fled the scene in a panic when approached by a security guard near his car.

Four days later, police arrested him in Palembang. He faces charges of theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

When questioned by reporters, Kasarski confessed to the crime and asserted that his previous attempts had been successful. However, he declined to disclose the amount he had obtained from the ATM scams in Indonesia.

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