Tag Archive for: atm machines

How to Steal Money from an ATM

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How to Steal Money from an ATM

Stealing money from an ATM machine? Does that really happen?

While that does sound like a ridiculous attempted feat given the level of security that ATM machines have, there are some potential criminals who still try to find and exploit any weaknesses in an ATM’s system in order to gain access.

Stealing money from an ATM machine is undoubtedly an attempt that has been tried numerous times. But much to the would-be criminal’s chagrin, it is to no avail. There aren’t any successful ATM heists that you will likely read about in your local newspapers. There won’t be any television news reports about how savvy criminals got away with successfully removing the money from any ATM machine. It just doesn’t happen, and for good reason, no doubt.

Owner and Their Machines

When ATM owners initially set up their cash machines, they are advised to invest in equipment that has the latest software technology, physical locks and vaults and other enhancements that would deter criminal activity. Since most well-made ATM machines generally have safeguards in place as basic features, it behooves the owner to ensure that their machines do in fact have proper security. ATM machine owners can take solace in knowing that the machines have durable, comprehensive security cabinets and vaults that have been made to meet proper standards.

There are two prominent types of security that you will find present on most machines. These are the Business Hours security vault and the 24 Hours Level security vault. Both types of protection offer the owner different protection levels, but basically have the same security. Different business environments and traffic levels will dictate what the best fit may be for the protection levels.

Machines built for ATM needs are known as the UL 291 Standard, which are designed by Underwriters Laboratories. The company is responsible for rating and product-testing consumer goods like home appliances and electrical goods. Investing in a UL 291 Standard ensures that the machine is well-designed to withstand attacks and to protect the contents of the machine.

Business Hours ATM Vault

The Business Hours ATM machines are designed to hold and protect cash where transactions are made during normal business hours. In these instances, there is usually someone on the premises like a manager or an owner who can monitor the machine during the day. Therefore, at the end of the business day, the cash is safely removed from the machine and moved to other locations.

24-Hour Level 1 ATM Vault

The design and structure of the 24 Hour Level 1 ATM machine is designed to withstand inordinate amounts of potential attacks, drilling or any maneuver launched in an attempt to try and gain access to the system. About 300 pounds is what these machines generally weigh, and are also designed to withstand physical pressure loads of up to 50,000 psi.

Foil the Criminal

There are substantially hefty fines and possible jail time that are associated with any criminal activity associated with tampering with ATM machines. This alone is sometimes enough to discourage any would-be criminal. But even the possibility of being caught and punished, it’s is still not enough of a deterrent for some criminal-minded individuals. Thankfully for ATM owners, however, the ATM machines are now equipped with specialized internal and external equipment and enhanced software that can make the machines virtually impossible to steal. The machines are sometimes even bolted down in the area where they’re found, in order to discourage theft. Even in the unlikely event that the thief successfully unmounts the machine from its foundation, it is virtually impossible for him to penetrate the machine to break it in order to get to its cash content. In some cases, even the attempt is punishable by law and the individual can be incarcerated.

ATM Machines and Bill Paying

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ATM Machines and Bill PayingWithout a doubt, we are now all living in a digital world, one that’s full of technological advances and conveniences that were not afforded to us years ago. This is great time to be in business as an ATM business owner, and a great time to get into a sound, solid and profitable business.

The income gained from being an ATM business owner is highly flexible, meaning, you can make as much or as little money that you want to make. With multiple machines and/or multiple locations, you will of course make more money. With one or two machines, you will still make a great profit, and you also get to keep your inventory to a reasonably manageable size that’s ideal for the solo business owner.

With the convenience of ATM machines and accessing cash as needed, there is also the added convenience of taking care of other financial duties and responsibilities that most everyone has to deal with, and that’s bill paying.

We do it every day, week or month, and for some people, the task really requires a dedicated amount of time to focus on getting the job done. Whether they are paying those bills online, in person or mailing them in, getting those bills paid are a fact of life that you’ll need to stop and do on a regular basis.

But what if there was an easier way, or perhaps a quicker way to get it done? Maybe on their lunch break, they could easily grab a hotdog and soda from the street vendor AND pay their mortgage all at the same time? That would be pretty cool!

With the ATM machines that also offer bill payment options, it can be done easily and quickly, and as often as necessary. Bill payment kiosks that are a part of the ATM machine and its functions have become and is becoming a popular and sought-after feature for many individuals. Why? Well, mainly because they offer such flexibility and convenience, but also because there are less fees and less paperwork for customers to deal with. With the options to:

1.) withdraw cash

2.) pay bills online

3.) get financial statements from bill vendors and

4.) transfer cash between accounts and bill payors

all of the many benefits of ATM usage turns out to be a very attractive solution for customers. There are many other beneficial uses, but for customers, the main goal is to do as much as they can in an allotted (limited) amount of time, but yet enjoy the maximum amount of benefits as possible. In this day and age, multi-tasking is the fruit of choice, so giving customers multiple options with their ATM visits is ideal.

Although ATM machines and bill-paying is going to be a draw for some customers, for others it may be something that they want to stay far away from, which can likely be due to either a bad experience or not having or knowing enough information on the subject. As an ATM business owner, you can certainly offset their reasons by being as proactive as you can be to make sure the customer’s gravitate to and embrace the idea. Here are some things you can implement to ensure that this happens:

  • Make sure the ATM machine is in a safe location so customers will have confidence when using it, especially if it’s in a high-traffic area.
  • Ensure that the machine has the proper and the most current software available so that customers can find and interact with their bill payors. Make sure also to have as many high-profile bill payors and utility companies that you can so that you attract customers. Of course, this depends on location, so update your list as often as possible.
  • When customers experience issues like statement paper jams or a problem connecting to a vendor, you need to know about it so that you can remedy the problem. Because of this, always make sure that you have contact information visible so that customers can contact you with any machine issues. This includes offline and online contact information.

The only thing for the bill-paying and ATM machine concept to do is to grow. That’s because there are so many benefits and advantages that customers and ATM machine owners will receive. As it continues to grow, ATM owners will continue to enjoy the growing profits while customers receive another service that saves them time and offers them flexibility in one of life’s recurring tasks.

 

 

Prepaid Cards with an ATM

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Prepaid Luxury With ATM Cards

Prepaid Luxury With ATM CardsThere is a certain luxury that prepaid card users experience, and that is convenience. There is no guessing on card balances or what is accessible to their accounts through their ATM machines. Since prepaid cards are not like credit cards, and do not behave like revolving accounts, the funds on the card are instantly accessible by the account’s cardholder. Also, the card and any card activity is not information that is reported to any of the credit bureaus because they are not credit card accounts.

Another perk of prepaid cards is that the money is available right away, whether it’s accessed through an ATM machine or by writing out a check for cash. There are no billing statements to deal with and no worries about having balances carry over from one month to the next. The conveniences of having prepaid bankcards extend to personal and business uses, traveling, transferring funds and using them to expedite any transactions where a bankcard is required.

Prepaid Cards Advantages and Disadvantages

Prepaid Cards Advantages and DisadvantagesThere are of course advantages and disadvantages to owning and using a prepaid bankcard. For some, it’s the convenience of having quick access to their money through cash and ATM machines. For others, it may be the flexibility that it offers in paying bills online or performing shopping and purchasing transactions online. However, what one person deems as a plus, someone else may consider a minus. Here are a few reasons and options that people have as their prepaid bankcard cash and spending flexibility:

  1.  The Only Option
  • A prepaid card may be the only viable option for a person who needs to re-establish his financial track record, especially if they’re unable to open up a checking account due to a poor financial history.

In some cases, a prepaid card may the only way that they can get their financial lifestyle back on track as they work to re-build their credit scores and still maintain their financial responsibilities at the same time.

2. Flexibility

  •  A prepaid card gives the user instant cash access through numerous ATM machines and banks, making it an appealing solution for those who prefer NOT to carry around large amounts of cash. With a prepaid card, they can access their funds only when it’s convenient and preferable to them.

3. Instant Load

  •  A prepaid card can also be instantly loaded at many retail locations, like Walmart or pharmacies, like CVS or Walgreen’s. This is convenient for many individuals, especially for those who may have a limited income and need access quicker than going to a bank. There are also many ATM machines located inside some of these retail locations, which make it easier and quite convenient for the customer to shop and make cash withdrawals all at the same location.

There are also some prepaid card distributors who offer larger networks of free ATM providers than do some banks. The benefits of each prepaid card will vary from one distributor to another, but if the network is significant enough in terms of customers, they will generally offer free ATM services to its customers. This is a very important consideration, especially since the typical ATM provider can charge anywhere upward of $300 per year in basic administrative and maintenance fees. In addition, other fees like activation, transaction, bill payment and inactivity fees may also be factored in to the distributor’s fees, so it’s important to read the fine print closely and do a thorough search about the prepaid card distributor before deciding to use/not use their services.

 

Tag Archive for: atm machines

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