ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Protecting Yourself from Getting Robbed: ATM Machine Safety Tips

Updated on June 20, 2025

The ATM machines we see around us every day are a godsend for busy people. No longer do people have to go to the bank and stand in long lines just to withdraw a few dollars. But years ago, before the arrival of ATM machines, waiting in line was the norm for people with bank accounts. Thank God those days are gone.

The ability to get quick cash and make quick deposits are two of the most outstanding features of the ATM machine. In addition, the machine provides twenty-four hour assess. You can also find ATM machines in several locations.

ATM Machine Locations

  • Bank Lobbies

  • Gas stations

  • Convenience Stores

  • Retail stores

  • Drive thru

  • Along the sidewalk in some busy downtown areas

Source

I have been using them since the day they came out. However, to avoid trouble, I am very careful about where, when and how are use them.

Our goal is to keep ourselves protected from hurt, harm, and danger. Thousands of people are robbed daily at ATM machines across the nation.

The convenience of using an ATM machine and the speed in which you can withdraw cash may deceive you into thinking that there is nothing to worry about when it comes to getting our money and going on our way. However, human preditor-wolves are always watching for vulnerable and unsuspecting preys. People who like to take money from others will wait night and day until the perfect time to strike.

ATM Safety Awareness Check

Do You Take Extra Safety Precautions at ATM Machines

See results

Therefore, we must be ready for the unexpected ill-will that others are willing to heap upon us for the sake of robbing us of a few dollars. Before using a ATM machine, you will be wise to take the following precautionary steps:

  • Assess Your Surroundings
  • Determine the safety of the location
  • Identify suspicious activities

Source

Assessing Your Surroundings

When searching for an ATM machine, always assess your surroundings. Avoid going into areas where crime occurs on a higher level than in other places. For example, going into an oppressive area may appear to be safe, especially if you don’t see anybody around. However, the absence of people can be the most dangerous condition. These are opportune times for criminals to strike.

The danger of deserted areas is that there is no one to see what is going on. If you get assaulted and need medical assistance there will be no witnesses.

I once got robbed because I made the false assumption that the neighborhood was safe due to the lack of visible people activity. But in many inner-city neighborhoods, the reason the streets may appear empty because people simply don’t feel safe enough to come outside.

So, make sure you assess your surroundings if you feel a sense of uncertainty and lack of comfortability, leave the area and search for another location.

Determine if the location is safe

Although you may find a safe-looking street where people appear to be harmless, you must still be very cautious. Streets can be safe but the location of the ATM machine may not be safe. For example, a street may be swarming with downtown shoppers, but the location of the ATM machine may be around a corner and out of view.

People can easily sneak up behind you and grab your cash or demand money without anyone knowing what is going on.

Make sure the ATM Machine is fully in view where others can see if anything goes wrong while you are withdrawing cash.

Source

Identify Suspicious Activity

Believe it or not, many novice ATM users just don’t pay attention, especially if they feel that they know the area quite well. Even if you are a family with the area, always look around you for suspicious activity, such as:

  • A person hanging near or around the ATM for no apparent reason.
  • Suspicious people sitting in an automobile and looking toward the ATM location
  • A person who appear to be following you
  • People whispering and moving closer toward you

If you see these activities get out of the situations as soon as possible. Pass by the ATM machine without giving anyone an indication that you wanted to use it. Following this advice will go a long way in protecting yourself from being robbed.

The bottom Line

Set safety as a priority when using the ATM. A robbery can occur anywhere, even in good areas where crime seldom occurs. Nevertheless, there will always be those areas where the risk of being robbed is much greater.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)