The Nightwatch Program, Inc. - Crime Prevention At Its Best

Automatic Teller Machine Safety
By: Michael Harkins
The Nightwatch Program Of the 8.2 billion ATM transactions each year, fewer than 3,000 people actually fall victim to robbery or assault. Using an ATM should not have to be a traumatic experience. Most people that fall victim to ATM assaults are careless and do not know the proper way to guard themselves from attacks and robberies.

Some of these helpful tips may prevent you, or a loved one from being robbed by a low life criminal:

Never walk away from a teller or ATM with cash in your hand. Put it in your wallet or purse, or some place safe until you are in a safe area like a car or building.

Make sure the area looks like a "friendly" place. You don't want to be making a withdrawal at a place that is dark or if there is only a few people around.

Make sure the area is lit well. Making a withdrawal from a dark area makes you a prime target for thieves.

If possible, try not to use an ATM after dark. Once again, making a withdrawal from a dark area makes you a prime target.

If you can, try not to withdraw a large amount of cash

If you are in a car, use these additional tips:
Keep your doors locked at all times, you wouldn't want some to hop into your car while making a transaction.

Before making a transaction, look around you. Look for any suspicious persons. If you notice something out of the ordinary, leave the area.

Always try to make a transaction go as fast as possible, even if everything looks secure. You never know when something will happen.