Robbed at ATM in shopping centre

POLOKWANE – A 32-year-old woman’s quick trip to the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) in a shopping centre in the city turned into a nightmare when she was robbed of her hard earned cash.

To add insult to injury, she said the security guards on duty at the shopping centre said it was her own fault because she was not aware of her surroundings.

The victim, who wanted to remain anonymous said she had just come from work and stopped at the shopping centre to withdraw cash. She said she did not want to leave her mother and baby in the car in town while withdrawing the cash and that she thought the shopping centre’s parking lots were a safer choice.

“I placed the money in my purse and walked away from the ATM when a young man bumped into me. As I looked towards him, a second young man grabbed my purse and ran to the parking lot,” she told Review. “I ran after them, but they had already passed on my purse to other young men in the parking lot. I returned to the centre to report the robbery to the security guards.”

The woman had to wait for a security guard as there were no security guards stationed near the banks and the bank’s security guards had gone off duty.

“The security started to question me and asked me how this could happen, while telling me in no uncertain terms that I had become a victim because I was not alert enough. They said the robbery was basically my fault,” the woman said.

She told Review that she was a very alert person and saw that there were no other people or security guards near the ATMs when she went to make her withdrawal.

“The security guards’ attitude made my ordeal much worse.” According to the head of security at the shopping centre, there was a change of guards at the time of the incident and that was why there were no guards on duty. A manager of the shopping centre said they were investigating the matter.

A manager from a different security company, who achieved great successes in the prevention of robbery and pick pocketing in shopping centres said it was important for both the public and security companies to understand that security depended on the human factor. Mistakes were made and when this happened, the security company should look into preventing the same incident from happening again.

“The most important training that any security service must have is discipline in the job at hand. Once that is in place, the rest becomes much easier,” he said.

ATM safety tips:

• Always pay close attention to the ATM and your surroundings. Don’t select an ATM at the corner of a building, corners create a blind spot. Use an ATM located near the centre of a building.

• Do your automated banking in a public, well-lit location that is free of shrubbery and decorative partitions or dividers.

• Maintain an awareness of your surroundings throughout the entire transaction. Be wary of people trying to help you with ATM transactions. Be aware of anyone sitting in a parked car nearby. When leaving an ATM make sure you are not being followed. If you are, drive immediately to a police station or to a crowded, well-lit location or business.

• Do not use an ATM that is unusual looking or offers options with which you are not familiar or comfortable with.

• Do not allow people to look over your shoulder as you enter your PIN. Memorise your PIN, never write it on the back of your card. Do not re-enter your PIN if the ATM eats your card. Rather contact a bank official.

• Do not wear expensive jewellery or take other valuables to the ATM. This is an added incentive to the assailant.

• Never count cash at the machine or in public. Wait until you are in your car or another secure place.

• When using a drive-up ATM, keep your engine running, your doors locked and leave enough room to manoeuvre between your car and the one ahead of you in the drive-up-line.

• Maintain a supply of deposit envelopes at home or in your car. Prepare all transaction paper work prior to your arrival at the ATM. This will minimise the amount of time spent at the machine.

• Closely monitor your bank statements, as well as your balances, and immediately report any problems to your bank.

• If you are involved in a confrontation with an assailant who demands your money, comply with his demands.