TechBe careful with cash trapping. It's a very dangerous way to take money from an ATM

Be careful with cash trapping. It's a very dangerous way to take money from an ATM

Be careful. Thieves are everywhere.
Be careful. Thieves are everywhere.
Images source: © Getty Images | Jake Wyman

3:58 PM EDT, October 20, 2023

The so-called cash trapping is a very simple, but extremely effective way to steal money withdrawn from an ATM. Its effects can be severe, so it's worth protecting yourself against it.

"Cash trapping" is a technique of stealing your money from an account with the usage of a special strip that thieves place on an ATM. It is placed exactly where the person withdrawing the money is supposed to reach. A cover placed there with double-sided adhesive tape causes the money to be unable to leave from there.

Cash, instead of landing in our hands, is stuck to a hidden strip in the ATM. The transaction is considered valid - despite the fact that we couldn't withdraw the money. Checking the account balance on the internet service, or application, might make us realize that something went wrong.

To protect yourself from being robbed, after an unsuccessful attempt to withdraw money, you can't walk away from the ATM. It's worth trying to grab the strip that closes off the area where the money was supposed to end up in our hands. In case of fraud, you must immediately notify the ATM operator.

It's best to report any attempts of cash takeover there, as the bank debiting the account will be convinced that the transaction was successful. Therefore, our chances of proving fraud would be limited there.

How to avoid cash trapping can be seen perfectly in the video below:

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