Authorities are warning holiday shoppers about ‘criminal riding’ at ATMs

Authorities across the country are warning shoppers to stay vigilant ahead of their holiday deals as thieves turn to the popular crime scene to make a quick buck.

This practice – called “Jagging” – involves criminals following victims from ATMs, banks or shops in an attempt to steal their money or make new purchases, in accordance with The FBI. Law enforcement officers tend to see an increase in incidents around the holiday season, and shoppers tend to walk around with large sums of money or expensive items.

“Just riding, in my opinion, is a slang word for cases of opportunity,” retired CEO Bill Stanton told Fox Digital News. “Think of the wreckers, where there are alligators or water creatures that live by the watering hole, on the right? And in this case, it’s an ATM or an ATM-type machine.”

Many cases of people being attacked by the victim have made national headlines, with the most recent incident involving a person in Texas earlier this month.

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On November 10, a 70-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint while visiting an ATM in a Walmart parking lot in Houston, according to Fox26.

Police said the suspect forced the victim to withdraw cash from the machine, then shot the man after transferring the money. The unidentified man was transported to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

A similar incident occurred on April 29, when police were following a Houston man at a Fargo Bank ATM at a car wash, where an unidentified male suspect pulled out a gun in a struggle to rob the victim, according to the Houston Police Department. The suspect then fled the area on foot, before getting into a white SUV and driving away, police said.

One day earlier, a man was followed at a Houston bank, where surveillance video was taken of two suspects pulling up on each side of his car as the man pulled into a gas station, according to police. The video then captures two suspects – believed to be the same people involved in the robbery the following day – breaking the front windows of the victim’s car before removing an envelope of cash from the center console.

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Johnny Juwan Clark pleaded guilty earlier this year to the “riding” robbery of an ATM technician in Houston, Texas, on July 3, the Department of Justice said. (Department of Justice)

Earlier this year, a Houston man was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to robbery ” in accordance with Department of Justice.

According to prosecutors, 33-year-old Johnny Juwan was acquitted of a separate robbery in which, along with three others, they forced an ATM technician to the ground and removed hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash in Midlothian, Texas.

The group was working within a Houston-based criminal organization called the “Hiram Clarke Money Team” when Clark agreed to follow the expert to several locations, before approaching the seat behind a Chase Bank ATM, according to the DOJ.

Clark kept his fist behind the technology’s head as the suspects allegedly made him steal nearly $248,000 in cash from the machine, prosecutors said. The group then allegedly fled the scene and converged on an apartment complex, where the stolen money was loaded into the back of a Range Rouse and driven back to Houston.

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Johnny Juwan Clark pleaded guilty earlier this year to stealing approximately $250,000 from an ATM in Houston, Texas on July 3, 2024, according to the Department of Justice. (Department of Justice)

When the money was transferred, Clark and another codefendant used part of the money to buy an S-Class Mercedes-Benz and jewelry, according to prosecutors.

An attorney for Clark and the Houston police department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

“It’s a big problem,” Stanton said. “And if the economy doesn’t go their rebel, it’s more of a motivational thing – that, and the holidays.”

According to Stanton, criminals often look for victims who appear to be oblivious to their surroundings when in public.

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“If you give the impression that you’re a victim, that you’re having lunch or dinner in the way of donating your money, it’s only a matter of time,” FOX News’ Stanton said. “It’s not a matter of if, but when. Just because it’s never happened before, doesn’t mean you can’t have it – it just means you’re lucky.”

Stanton urges consumers to take precautions to protect themselves, especially during the holiday season.

He, along with the FBI, suggested consumers should look out for anyone who looks suspicious before approaching an ATM or getting out of their car in a parking lot.

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In addition, the FBI urges people to break up their banking habits and stay away from the process, while hiding their money when leaving an ATM or store.

“Don’t make it easy for them,” Stanton said. “Take the money, put it in your pocket and head to the car. Don’t leave the money, block it while you’re on the phone.”

Stanton also puts potential buyers in the dangerous position of simply handing over money when they approach a criminal.

He said: “If you’re in the middle of it, go up,” he said. “The money from the ATM can be replaced – not your life. Throw the money and drive the other way if you can.”

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As Americans hit the stores to get a jump start on their holiday shopping, Stanton urges shoppers to keep personal safety at the forefront of their minds as they buy their gifts for the season.

“While you’re doing your holiday shopping, it’s the bad boys,” Stanton said. “When you’re looking for that deal or buying that expensive thing, they look at you and they’re like, ‘Wow, I like the taste of a person. That’s their gift.’ You know, you put that in your mind, and it makes you more narrow-minded. “