The Complete Guide That Makes Preventing ATM Theft and Fraud Simple

The ATM is at the center of most people's lives. It makes it easy for us to access money when we need it, and we trust that our money will be safe.

Unfortunately, in today's world, there are a lot of people who would like to steal your hard-earned cash and many ATMs don't do enough to protect you from them.

Hopefully, this guide can help make preventing ATM theft and fraud simple and easy for you.

Avoid an ATM That's Hidden from Public View or Poorly Lit

An ATM that's behind walls or at the very least underneath some sort of shelter, like an overhang, is far more likely to be targeted by thieves.

While you may not always have the ability to avoid these types of ATMs all the time (for example at night), it makes sense to favor ones that are well lit and visible from public spaces.

Keep Your Cash Close at Hand

If your money is in your wallet or purse, then there's no way for a thief to take anything without getting close enough for you to notice him or her doing so.

This is why it's absolutely vital to keep your money at arm's length when you're at an ATM or in a public place and can't constantly monitor who is around you.

Don't Let Your Card Out of Sight When You Make a Transaction

When you're at the ATM, never let go of your card once it has been handed back to you over the course of the transaction.

Otherwise, someone could easily swipe it through another machine and steal all that cash from your account.

Similarly, if there is any sort of hold on your card, such as when making purchases online. Don't release control until everything has gone through properly so they don't have access to it for longer than necessary.

Take a Companion With You if Possible

Especially when at night or at an ATM in a sketchy area, it's always smart to take someone with you, according to www.bytefederal.com.

Just having another person there can make all the difference in protecting yourself from would-be thieves and scammers.

Be Wary of Unusual Behavior at ATMs

Never approach an ATM that is out of your way (such as one on the other side of the street) unless specifically directed by signage.

Someone may be waiting for you to leave so they can swipe your card at their own machine without getting caught.

Also, if something seems off about how anyone around the actual bank machines is acting, then get ready because this could have been a scam just to lure victims away from safe areas into more hidden spaces where their money can be taken at will.

Reduce the Time You Spend at the ATM

The less time you spend at the ATM, the more likely it is that someone will be able to see your PIN number and lift money from your account.

Take just what you need, no more or less, so that even if an unfortunate incident does take place, at least you are not out a lot of cash in addition to whatever has occurred.

Park as Close as Possible to the ATM at Night

If at all possible, try and find a parking spot as close to the ATM as possible.

This way you can avoid long walks at night when you're less likely to be paying attention to someone who is trying to take advantage of your vulnerability.

Keep an Eye on Who's Around You at All Times

When at any time during the day or night especially if it feels more deserted than usual, keep an eye out on those around you just in case something fishy might happen.

If anything seems off, then always err on the side of caution even if that means temporarily leaving without taking money from your account.

Keep Your Engine Running and Your Doors Locked at the ATM

If at all possible, try and park near an ATM with your engine running.

This is because if something bad does happen at the machine (which you might not notice at first), then it's much easier for you to flee quickly without having anything obstructing your escape route.

Also, when at any time of day or night outside of a bank that offers ATMs, keep your doors locked while inside so no one can open them up suddenly in an effort to steal money from within.

Leave the ATM ASAP After a Transaction

After you've made a transaction at the ATM, do not loiter around and leave as soon as possible.

Even if it's just for a moment to take out your phone or purse from your car inside of which they may have been hiding without being noticed.

Don't give them the chance at all by getting away quickly so that there is no possibility of staying in their sights at any point during this process.

Leave the ATM Immediately if You Notice Something Suspicious

Above all, at night when you're out at an ATM in a strange area or when things just feel off about the whole environment around you. Get away from there as quickly as possible and come back during the day if needed.

Even without any visible signs of danger at hand, it's always smart to err on the side of caution by going somewhere else altogether so that no matter what happens after this point, at least your money is not lost because of it.

Go Into a Crowd and Call the Police if Someone Follows You

If at all possible, remember to go into a crowd at any time of day and call for help if you notice someone following you away from an ATM or when leaving.

Even though it might not feel like something that dire at the moment, there is always the possibility that this person could be dangerous in some way (or many) which would make your situation much scarier.

Don't take these kinds of chances with yourself and others around by continuing on and expecting things to get better later down the line because sometimes this has exactly opposite effects especially when people's lives are at stake.

Keep Your PIN Private at All Times

Next, at all costs and at every point in time do not share your PIN number with anyone.

If you're at an ATM and someone wants to use it, then politely offer another one that is just as accessible if they need cash too.

However, there's no reason at all for this information to be divulged under any circumstances when the chances of something bad happening are so much greater than normal by doing so.

This will help prevent crime from occurring altogether while also protecting yourself against possible identity theft or even physical harm at a later date (which could take place after walking away).

As soon as you notice anything suspicious like this taking place around you, don't hesitate to get out of that area immediately without having anything at all obstructing your path.

Check Your ATM Receipts for Any Unauthorized Transactions

If at all possible, try and check your bank account at home in the next day or so to ensure that no unauthorized transactions have taken place at an ATM.

Even if you are not able to prevent anything from happening by doing this on a regular basis, at least it will give you peace of mind knowing where things stand with your money when there is nothing else around for miles otherwise.

Report a Lost or Stolen ATM Card Immediately

If at all possible, report a lost or stolen ATM card to the bank right away.

Even if it is not used at an ATM at any point in time, you will still be able to prevent money from being taken out of your account by doing this as soon as possible when needed most.

The sooner that you can get on top of these kinds of situations and confront them head-on before they cause further damage, then the safer everyone around you will feel overall which tends to have positive effects for everyone involved anyway.

These are just some key points to keep in mind about how people can protect themselves against ATM theft and fraud at all times so that aside from anything else going wrong with their finances over time.

Avoid ATMs with a Loose Card Slot at All Costs

Finally, at all costs and at every point in time try not to use ATMs that have a loose card slot.

If you notice anything like this taking place at any ATM around you at the moment, then it is best to go somewhere else altogether so that no matter what happens after this point, at least your money is kept safe during these kinds of transactions instead.

Even if there are plenty of other places nearby where cash could be obtained with ease without fear or trepidation about whatever may take place later on down the line because life goes much smoother when everything runs smoothly overall (most of the time).

Avoid ATM Theft at All Times

As you can see, there are so many ways to avoid ATM theft. To learn more about this subject, continue reading our blog for more helpful articles.