Individuals should always be careful when using the ATM. There are many people who do not exercise caution when using ATMs and this can lead to a huge loss of income.
Here are a few guidelines on how to use an ATM safely:
Never reveal confidential information like where you withdraw money or your secret pin code to any third party no matter how trustworthy he/she may seem.
Always look out for suspicious looking people when visiting an ATM. Try to use the safest place to withdraw money. Some banks have ATMs inside the premises and this can be safer to use than an ATM in a public area; the Seattle Police Department recommends the use of indoor ATMs. Help may also be more readily available if more secure ATMs are used by consumers.
Try and block any entries made when visiting an ATM. Third parties should never get a chance to view pin codes when you withdraw money from an ATM. Block the machine with the whole body and do not encourage anyone to get a peak.
Throw any receipts with account information far away from the ATM. Try and shed all confidential material including receipts from ATM machines.
Never leave an ATM unattended when a card gets stuck or swallowed. Always have a cellular phone and bank customer service number handy if possible. Cards can be “frozen” immediately and this stops third parties from making withdrawals from the account. Never panic and leave the ATM or ask strangers for help. This will create more problems and the consumer can end up with a huge loss of income. Many financial institutions will not reimburse the customer as they carry out investigations after the incident has been reported. Also, if the financial institution fiinds that the customer did not follow the correct procedure when the card was swallowed, then the money will not necessarily be reimbursed.
People using ATMs should keep their personal pin code in their head and never divulge this information to anyone including security guards at ATMs or people who work in the bank. People should also try to learn to use ATMs and refrain from having third parties help them as these people could mislead them and withdraw huge amounts of money from the account.
People should avoid visiting ATMs too often and use debit and credit cards more often. They should also reduce their daily withdrawal limits as criminals can access more money if the card is stolen or lost.
People using ATMs should always be on the look out for suspicious characters and must never entertain or talk to strangers when using an ATM. These people are very crafty criminals who will use any opportunity to distract people at ATMs and at any given moment when they get a good opportunity they withdraw funds from the bank account.
People should make sure that they complete their own transactions before helping others to use the ATM. This helps to ward off thieves and suspicious looking people. Some ATMs have security guards nearby to help people who are unsure of how to use the machine.
Hopefully practicing these ATM safety tips will keep ATM predators at bay and make withdrawing cash safer and less of a hassle.