Its rare that I see one out in the open, and not a chance I would use one anywhere at night - even though where I live is considered a very low crime area.
"Exact change please"
- Thread starter Lovin Jesus
- Start date
Lovin Jesus
Well-Known Member
Same here. I wont even use the ones outside the bank. I prefer going inside and have a person teller to make a transaction
Aiyanna
Well-Known Member
I feel like I'm jumping in kind of late. At the bank we are having to ask our merchant customers to adjust their prices or conserve their coins. I have spent hours hand counting and rolling the coins we get from customers in our coin machine so we can have some kind of a stock. I don't pretend to understand the shortage, I just know that we are being denied the coinage we order from the treasury. Mainly quarters. There are weeks when the three of us tellers (I still cover and help teller row, I technically have two jobs now) have had to split one 500$ box of quarters for the entire week, which isn't nearly enough to serve customers. We turn away non-business customers who come in requesting rolls of quarters for doing laundry and heavily ration the quarters we hand to businesses. Right now we are allowing some of the larger businesses to have a $100 in quarters a week. No more than that. It's not a fun job, I can tell you. I don't carry cash anymore personally and I am able to do my laundry at home so the coin issue isn't affecting me at home. But at work the frustration is real.
We, at the bank, actually got in trouble with the treasury for retaining the coins we were getting (we only retain the quarters) and not sending them in, but we have often been desperate for the coinage to help our customers so my manager finally told us to keep counting and rolling whenever we get some in.
Also, we just recently had to put a heavy steel barricade around our ATM at the bank to prevent potential robbers. There used to be cop cars that would hang out in the parking lot all the time, but I haven't seen any this year. It's a little scary, but nothing has happened thus far.
We, at the bank, actually got in trouble with the treasury for retaining the coins we were getting (we only retain the quarters) and not sending them in, but we have often been desperate for the coinage to help our customers so my manager finally told us to keep counting and rolling whenever we get some in.
Also, we just recently had to put a heavy steel barricade around our ATM at the bank to prevent potential robbers. There used to be cop cars that would hang out in the parking lot all the time, but I haven't seen any this year. It's a little scary, but nothing has happened thus far.
Aiyanna
Well-Known Member
They still do
They also steal people's identities, personal information, professional information, financial information, medical information, etc., and use it to commit/perpetuate fraud
It's painful. I work with a lot of fraud everyday. The worst question I keep getting asked is "how did they get my debit card numbers?! I never use it!" I seriously wish I knew. Also, my branch manager had his identity stolen just a few weeks ago. Someone tried to apply for unemployment using his full social security number. The HR contacted him immediately and he was able to freeze and put identity theft alerts on his social, but still.... It's scary insane right now. I feel like this age of information makes privacy nearly impossible anymore.
Ghoti Ichthus
Pray so they do not serve alone. Ephesians 6:10-20
If someone doesn't have an RFID-blocking wallet/purse/murse/pouch/etc., or if someone with a scanner is close enough when it's used at POS or ATM, or there's a dishonest worker at POS, or cardholder fails to shred everything into teeny tiny pieces with a cross-cut shredder (and maybe burn it for good measure, but at least throw awy the teeny tiny pieces in multiple trash receptacles, preferably mixed with used cat litter or dog poop), or there's a dishonest person in the bank, debit card manufacturing/distribution, or there's a skimmer, or someone can see the numbers (people do stand off with vision-enhancing equipment or hide cameras so they can see the numbers on cards when they're used or even just pulled out of a wallet by mistake, or someone gets access to the card (family member, "friend," coworker, etc.), or a purse/murse/wallet gets left somewhere by mistake and whoever finds it copies/photographs card(s), ID, etc. before turning it in or calling the owner, etc., etc., etc.
Ghoti Ichthus
Pray so they do not serve alone. Ephesians 6:10-20
I don't worry about day or night or the crime rate of the area. I'm far more concerned about hidden approaches, vantage points for criminals, or getting boxed in (many drive-up type ATMs). I'd much rather be on foot cuz far more mobile/agile/options to avoid the paperwork-for-hours solution if someone gets stupid.
I used to prefer using an ATM inside a business, but not anymore because it's too easy for someone with a scanner, smart phone, etc. to get too close and appear to be an innocent customer of the business. Same reason I don't like ATMs in crowded areas. I'd rather be at least somewhat isolated/separated from other people when using an ATM because anyone approaching is easily seen. There are some businesses that have good separation for the ATM so this wouldn't be as big of a problem.
The ATMs inside a separate room/lobby at a bank, business, or stand-alone in a building that requires the use of a cc or debit to get inside give at least a few seconds warning of another person coming in, plus identification of the card used to get in (note that it could be stolen or cloned onto a key or card blank, so not a sure ID). Never, ever open the door for anyone to "be nice."
Drive-ups are nice, but make sure you can get out if someone(s) parks in front and back. Keep your doors locked and get as close to the ATM as possible to help keep someone from getting between you and the ATM.
General good advice is take someone with you, regardless of day or night.
Biggest thing when using any ATM is to PAY ATTENTION to your surroundings and PAY ATTENTION to your gut. If you feel the least bit uncomfortable, leave and use an ATM somewhere else.
It's robbery season, and will be until sometime in February (people buying for the holidays now and needing to pay the cc bills, rent, etc. in January and February). Everyone please be extra careful.
Aiyanna
Well-Known Member
Yes, those are just a few ways someone can get your information. And I've dealt with elderly people who kept their debit cards in their desks at home and forgot about them, only to end up with online fraud. Usually paypal or venmo. I don't pretend to be an expert at hacking, I'm definitely not. And I know that the bank where I work has strong securities in place. And yet people are still being targeted even when their cards never leave their houses or they don't know how to use computers to order things online. Even when they're extremely careful and never give out information to anyone and have the RFID-blocking equipment. There's something more at work here. I believe there are people out there who have the scary ability to get this information without direct access.
Ghoti Ichthus
Pray so they do not serve alone. Ephesians 6:10-20
Bank employees that have certain types/levels of access to accounts can get the number, expiration date, security code, billing info, etc. Ditto, credit card company employees. They can sell the info to someone else and the card has never left the victim's home. Sometimes, the victim never even opens the envelope.
Employees that work where they actually make the physical cards can get the information from a bunch of cards and encode another card with the required information to use it in some places. An electronic hotel card key can be used for this. Employees that mail out the cards directly to account holders can also get the name and address, including the billing zip code. Most people don't have separate mailing and physical addresses, and even fewer have mailing and billing addresses in different zip codes.
They can sell the info to someone else and the card has never left the victim's home. Sometimes, the victim never even opens the envelope and his or her card is used.
Digital/internet security employees that are supposed to be ensuring security of systems and information aren't always as honest (or competent) as they're supposed to be.
Add in data breaches and hacking.
It's amazing what information is for sale on the dark web from all of the above
Anyone with the card information, but no billing zip code can narrow it down by calling the card company and getting recent transaction information from the automated system. The worst that happens if someone tries to use a shopping site and puts in the wrong billing zip code is they get a few more tries. If the thief doesn't guess right, he or she gets locked out for awhile, but he or she could go to another website and guess some more zip codes . . . when the right one is found, return to the first shopping site
Another way the number can be compromised that I didn't list in my earlier post is if the old card is thrown out. Just cutting it up isn't enough. The pieces need to be thrown away in separate locations. A commercial shredding service that dumps/recycles/burns thousands of pounds of teeny tiny cross-cut shreddings at one time is generally considered accetable (but no guarantee if the employee fishes the card out before it hits the shredder)
I could write all week about this . . .
Aiyanna
Well-Known Member
Same. It's so frustrating and upsetting.I could write all week about this . . .
Praise God a day will come when this is no longer an issue.Similar threads
