While ATM related crimes are actually not on the rise, staying safe while getting your cash is still very relevant. Both physical threats, such as a robbery, and virtual threats, such as identity theft exist. In staying safe, it is imperative to know these five things before visiting an ATM.
1. Pay attention to your surroundings
Your first line of defense is the obvious one, pay attention to your surroundings. Always seek to use an ATM in a well lit area, with natural surveillance. Never use an ATM in an alley or somewhere where there is no quick, easy exit.
2. Check the ATM for skimmers
Including the obvious paying attention to one’s surroundings, one should visually inspect the ATM before use. Many skimmers, an illegal device used to capture your information, are easy to overlook. The skimmers are typically installed by someone other than the financial institution that owns the machine, meaning they were installed from the outside of the machine. In most cases, they are easy to remove. However, if a skimmer is discovered, it is better to use another ATM.
3. Seek to use up to date, EMV compliant ATM’s
If there are no skimmers on the ATM, the next line of defense is the card reader itself. The Europay Mastercard Visa movement, also known as EMV, is the law that requires chip card readers. These card readers require one to insert the card and not remove it in a swipe fashion. It is much more difficult for a criminal to digitally steal your information if the ATM is upgraded to EMV. If a machine looks old and unkept, there is a good chance that there is no chip reader on the machine. In that case, seek an ATM that looks more up to date.
4. Protect your PIN
Fortunately now, many ATM’s use neutral key tones, so one cannot discover your pin from an audio recording, it is still important to be cautious. Always cover your pin while entering it, both from other people and from surveillance equipment. While many security cameras are for the store’s safety, one cannot be too cautious.
5. Do not count cash at the ATM
Following the inspection of the surroundings, the check for skimmers, using an EMV upgraded ATM, and protecting one’s pin, it is typically safe to use an ATM. After the withdrawal has occurred, it is wise to not count the cash at the machine. In most cases, it is safer to keep the receipt, card, cash, and leave as quickly as possible.