Don’t neglect your safety when you use an ATM. There’s a high incidence of robberies involving ATMs. Take measures to ensure you don’t make yourself an easy target for thieves or criminal elements. Here are safety recommendations you should keep in mind.
If you’re in the car and need to walk to the ATM, pay attention to your surroundings. Is there anything suspicious? Are there people loitering around who don’t seem like they belong there?
How long have you been using ATMs? If it’s been years and you’ve been going to the same machines, you know which ones are reliable and malfunction often. You know which ATMs are often out of order. That makes it easier to avoid wasting time by skipping faulty or problematic units. In some cases, the ATMs are old.
Even Cheap ATMs can come from reputable options, so do your homework and find out if the ATMs have already been targeted by thieves or hackers. That way, you won’t have to worry about withdrawing cash from units that have already been tampered with or compromised.
It’s always better to use the ATM during the day. Using an ATM at night can increase your safety risks. If you need to withdraw at night, be sure to have someone with you. A friend or family member to watch your back is wise and ideal.
Are the lights around the ATM on? If they’re not, and you’re withdrawing cash at night, it may be best to put that off for the next day. If the lights have been deliberately put out, criminal elements may be waiting to pounce on you the moment you step back from the ATM.