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News & ArtsMonday, July 20, 2009
Crime Foiling an ATM Robbery (with the Help of a Gigantic Nun)
Posted by Christopher Frizzelle on Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 9:57 AM
Jonah Spangenthal-Lee has been writing a lot about the recent surge in reported robberies and burglaries in Seattle. Yesterday, Slog reader Brad Cerenzia sent in an email subject-lined "speaking of home burglaries":
On Saturday night my boyfriend, our friend and I foiled a robbery at the ATM on Madison where all the pre- and post-drunk bar hoppers go fill up on cash. I went to ATM 1 and two women went to ATM 2. They left ATM 2, I completed my transaction and walked back to join my friends. One of the ATMs was beeping—my boyfriend thought I left my card in the ATM, but it turned out to be ATM 2—but the women were already down the block. As my bf went to go grab them, we saw a man walk up to the machine and start taking out cash. LOTS. $400 of cash, it turns out. I immediately called 911 and let them know of the robbery. The women came back, confronted the robber, and he made a run for it. My friends went one way, and the women and I went the other way, both joining up cornering the man (and what turned out to be his counterpart) in the Cuff parking lot. We shouted "STOP! THIEF!" the whole way, and got the Cuff security people out there. Thanks to one VERY gigantic, mysterious Sister of Perpetual Indulgence, we were able to hold the man against a car until the police arrived and took him off to jail. The woman got her $400 back along with her stolen ATM card. There were also SEVERAL OTHER ATM cards in the man's pockets. Luckily the idiot took the receipts tying him to the ATM withdrawal robberies.At the end of the night, we walked back over to the ATMs to see if people were still lurking around. And lo and behold ... there was the man's associate ... begging for change and waiting for someone else to leave their ATM card.
So here are a couple interesting questions:
• When you complete a transaction at a B of A ATM, the machine waits 30 seconds before asking, "Do you need more time?" We timed it and we were able to walk across the street in 30 seconds—you'd never hear it beep.
• Why the hell is the B of A parking lot such a dark, dismal pit of despair? Can't they get better lighting for the safety of the patrons?
• Where is B of A's security? Why do they let people panhandle right next to the ATMs?
• Who was that mysterious Sister of Perpetual Indulgence who saved the day?
• And how much do B of A's customers lose from that set of ATMs each weekend due to robbery from errant card abandonment?
1
Glad the theif got nailed. Now they should get the real crooks who operate B of A and then we can a full circle of justice.
2
I swear, if it weren't completely unrealistic in this day and age I wouldn't use banks at all. They're all thieves.
3
This weekend was amazing mostly due to the Sisters...and that was before I read this. I love them.
6
So enough people leave their cards in ATMs that a robber can basically make a career out of standing around waiting for people to screw up? That is pretty shocking. Of course the guy should go to jail, but people really need to pay more attention to what the hell they're doing.
8
I'm with Levislade. Pay attention to what you're doing. I'm the most absent-minded person around, and I've NEVER left my card in the ATM.
10
In some areas of the world the ATMs give you back your card before dishing out the dough and/or receipt. That way if you really do spaz out all you lose is the amount of your withdrawal. And since getting cash is usually the whole point of being at the ATM the space out rate is pretty low.
11
Last week I withdrew some cash and it took forever for the ATM to give me back my card. It's easy to spazz out when the ATM takes several minutes to spit the thing out. In this case, the ATM belongs to Key Bank and I've personally had to chase down one person to give her back her card. The banks are responsible for this. The card should be the first thing to come out after you've made a withdrawal.
12
Nice work to all the kind citizens that helped!
I like the idea of a pressure sensitive footpad in front of ATMs. The ATM users must stand on it to complete any transaction. Once you step off, instant log out. That way, the forgetful ones have lost cards, not stolen cards with fraud reports to fill out.
Tip: Don't put away your wallet when the card is out. Restaurants, checkout lines, ATMs, etc. Keep your wallet in your hand, not your purse or pocket, until the card is back in your possession.
I like the idea of a pressure sensitive footpad in front of ATMs. The ATM users must stand on it to complete any transaction. Once you step off, instant log out. That way, the forgetful ones have lost cards, not stolen cards with fraud reports to fill out.
Tip: Don't put away your wallet when the card is out. Restaurants, checkout lines, ATMs, etc. Keep your wallet in your hand, not your purse or pocket, until the card is back in your possession.
13
I used to work for B of A, so I can shed some light on this. The fact is that the customers don't lose any of their money. B of A refunds all fraudulent ATM transactions. That's why they are so strict about daily withdrawal limits. The fact is that it's cheaper for them to refund the cash than it is to hire security guards at the ATMs. In fact even an investigation of who took the cash is more expensive than the cash that was taken, so unless it's a case like this, where other folks do the legwork, B of A won't pursue it. Kinda nice to think that a big corporation is subsidizing lowly panhandlers, huh?
14
Actually, they may have planted some kind of trap that "confiscates" the card and records the pin #.
http://www.snopes.com/fraud/atm/atmtheft…
p.s. I hope the people who got their ATM cards and cash give a nice donation to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as a thank you.
http://www.snopes.com/fraud/atm/atmtheft…
p.s. I hope the people who got their ATM cards and cash give a nice donation to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as a thank you.
16
@2: Carollani wrote: "if it weren't completely unrealistic in this day and age I wouldn't use banks at all"
It's not unrealistic. Use a credit union instead. They're similar to banks, but they're co-ops. They operate to serve their members rather than to maximize profits. I'm very happy with Watermark Credit Union, doing most business at a branch of Group Health Credit Union that is more convenient to me than Watermark's Seattle branch is.
It's not unrealistic. Use a credit union instead. They're similar to banks, but they're co-ops. They operate to serve their members rather than to maximize profits. I'm very happy with Watermark Credit Union, doing most business at a branch of Group Health Credit Union that is more convenient to me than Watermark's Seattle branch is.
18
To answer one of the questions, most places have laws about panhandling within a certain distance of ATMs. Not that it solves anything in this case, but there you go. I think I had another point, but I just can't see the word ATM on the internet anymore without laughing.
Was in Seattle this weekend, it was beautiful.
Was in Seattle this weekend, it was beautiful.
19
I don't get why people keep banking with B of A. Are there any actual positives to the experience? I don't think I've met a human being that banks with them and is happy with their experience. All I can think is that they have locations and ATMs everywhere, but Wells Fargo has ATMs out the wazoo too, as do other banks like US Bank, and the credit unions have a charge-free network of them.
20
Gomez, my Watermark ATM card works at any ATM affiliated with PLUS, Credit Union 24, Interlink, or Co-op Network. I don't have to think any more about which ATM to stop at than I did in the days that I used Bank of America (before dumping them because their ATM network in the Midwest was not connected to that of the Northwest, then dumping Washington Mutual because they were actively anti-public-transit). They don't charge a fee for use of outside banks' machines, but those banks often do. I don't know of any area credit unions that charge a fee to other CU's members to use them, and many of them even allow another CU's member to walk in to the counter and conduct the same transactions that they could conduct at their own CU. This is why, for instance, I can walk into GHCU down the street instead of heading downtown to Watermark, and make a deposit into my Watermark account.
Why would anyone use a bank instead of a Credit Union unless he simply doesn't know any better?
Why would anyone use a bank instead of a Credit Union unless he simply doesn't know any better?
21
@ 19: I bank with Bank of America and love it! (I live in Berkeley, so perhaps their CA branches are better?). Everyone there is really friendly, they're very helpful with setting up and renewing CDs, and their online banking is a breeze. They may be "evil" in a corporate sense, but I have nothing but good things to say about customer service.
Also, our ATM's here in CA won't give you your cash until you take your card, and they beep very quickly if you leave it in there.
Also, our ATM's here in CA won't give you your cash until you take your card, and they beep very quickly if you leave it in there.
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