Tips for staying safe at the ATM

Most experts reckon that ATMs will one day be a thing of the past and we’ll rely on things like mobile wallets and till point withdrawals to do all our transacting. For now, however, ATMs are part of our lives.

It’s important to remain vigilant and aware when you are using these machines in order  to not become a victim of crime or fraud and we have some tips for you on how to do just that.

-Make sure your PIN is something that’s not obvious, preferably not a sequence of numbers directly following each other and nothing something as straight forward as your birthdate.

Memorize your PIN, don’t write it down.

If you spot any suspicious looking characters nearby, leave or approach security. If your gut is telling you something is wrong, there probably is.

If the ATM is giving you trouble or you feel that it’s not working like it should, cancel your transaction immediately and try another ATM.

Make sure nobody is watching you put in your PIN on the keypad.

If you need help – don’t ask strangers or security guards for help. Ask a bank official. If your card is stuck – do not accept help from strangers.

If it looks like the card slot has been tampered with, don’t use the ATM.

Make sure you get your card back whenever you are done with a transaction. Make sure it’s your card with your details and somebody hasn’t swapped   your card.

If your card is lost, stolen or jammed into a machine  make sure you contact your bank immediately.