At Simplicity Credit Union, our members’ trust and financial security are our top priorities so we want to address the recent news about a targeted ATM attack and share the steps we’re taking to protect our members and community.
What Happened:
This was a highly specific and deliberate attack on the ATM at our Upham Street location, carried out using external tools and malware.
We want to assure everyone that these types of targeted ATM attacks do not involve member accounts, personal information, or any internal systems. In this instance, no other Simplicity CU ATMS were targeted.
ATMs are standalone devices, and their cash-dispensing mechanisms operate independently of systems that store personal financial information.
We’re Committed to Security:
The Simplicity CU Team is committed to protecting the financial well-being of the people we serve. We continuously invest in cutting-edge security measures—both physical and digital—to adapt to the ever-changing tactics of cybercriminals. With that in mind, we will continue to work with our partners to upgrade and improve our systems and processes.
It’s also important for our team and partners to work with local authorities to investigate this incident thoroughly to make sure our members and community have complete and accurate facts. The investigation is ongoing at this time, but transparency is central to who we are, and we’re here to answer any questions.
Thank you for trusting Simplicity Credit Union. Together, we’ll continue to safeguard what matters most—your peace of mind.
Questions or Concerns?
We’re here to help. Please contact Sarah Arnoldy, Chief Experience Officer, at 715.389.8215
Simplicity Credit Union: Making banking simple, secure, and more human.
Update 12/19/2025
The Marshfield News-Herald contacted our team for more details and because they asked good questions that we think are on our members, friends, and neighbors minds we wanted to share those questions and our responses too:
Do you have an estimate of how much money may have been taken from the machine?
We do know how much was taken and that the number that was originally reported online is inaccurate. We hope you can understand, though, that for the safety and security of our team, and because this is an ongoing investigation, we won’t be sharing that publicly.
When did the robbery occur?
Overnight on Friday, December 13th.
How was the breached machine noticed by branch staff and when was it reported to law enforcement?
The first notice we investigated was a low balance alert, which is normally our cue to re-fill the ATM. Because of the malware attack the machine was not functioning and the Branch Manager wasn’t able to verify the cash levels, so they followed our procedures and reached out to the hardware vendor. On Monday, December 16th, the vendor was able to confirm the machine had been tampered with and we notified law enforcement.
Have you taken any immediate actions to secure machines in other locations? What are those actions?
Yes, within the hour our team worked with our partners to ensure our other ATMs had not been attacked. Since that time, we have implemented several additional recommended measures to prevent similar incidents.
For security reasons, we’re sure you understand, we would rather not share specifics.
Will the amount of stolen cash impact your regular business operations?
While this is an unfortunate property loss, we carry insurance coverage that helps us recover without impact to our daily operations. More concerning though is the mental impact that news of this type can have on our community. That is why we have proceeded with an abundance of caution to only share the most accurate information.
Has Simplicity Credit Union been a target of this type of attack (“jackpotting”) in the past?
No, we have not.
Do you have security cameras that will help with the investigation into the robbery?
Yes. In fact, we turned that footage over to local authorities to assist with the investigation and that footage captured clear images of one suspect.
At this point, we can share that local authorities believe the ATM attack at our location may be linked to as many as six incidents at financial institutions unrelated to Simplicity CU across the state over the last weekend.
These types of attacks have been on the rise nationally, and we hope that the evidence we have already been able to provide will help authorities find the people responsible and prevent losses for other credit unions and banks.
