RIYADH – There have been reports of ATMs being attacked and burned by thieves who want to get inside the machines. Talal Al-Eidan, a criminology and criminal justice expert, said the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency and banks should strengthen precautionary measures when it comes to stocking ATMs with cash and reduce the number of attempted thefts. They should also educate bank customers about the safest way to use an ATM for withdrawals or deposits, he added. ATMs should be set up in places where everyone can see them, Al-Eidan said. He pointed out the way ATMs are stocked with cash is dangerous and encourages thieves to steal money from these machines. Besides, he added, many people know what time the machines are refilled with cash every day. This increases theft risks and means security guards who restock these machines are susceptible to attacks by thieves. Al-Eidan said some thieves use clever tricks to steal money. They insert a plastic card inside the ATM card slot to scan the information of any card and use this information to withdraw money from the account. He called for beefing up security around ATMs. He urged users to always be careful and check the ATM before using it and to stop using it if they notice anything suspicious. He suggested banks should use the same methods American banks use to reduce thefts. American banks notify their customers by SMS text messages if they detect any suspicious or unusual activity in their accounts.
