Missouri police Investigating ATM Hook and Chain Theft. Omaha Police Investigating ATM Crime Spree. Police Investigating ATM Robbery in Butler, Pennsylvania.

These are just a few examples of recent headlines that are becoming too common and too frequent. There’s no doubt that ATM crime is on the rise. An early 2024 article on ATM crime indicated that skimming, vandalism, physical attacks on ATMs and personnel of those servicing them continues to grow. Most financial institutions and armored carriers are taking proactive steps to prevent being linked to headlines like the above.

Here are three steps financial institutions can take to prevent criminal activity on their ATMs.

Be informed.

This may be a good time to update records of your ATM fleet. Note the types of ATM locations (free-standing, off-site, etc.) you have as well as the types of machines. This step will help you as you learn about emerging trends on a specific type of location or machine. If there is a particular machine or location type being targeted, you have information at your fingertips on how your financial institution could potentially be impacted.

Outsource ATM services to your armored carrier.

Asking branch staff to load machines is never a good idea. It’s simply dangerous. Not only is outsourcing ATM services safe, it also adheres to industry best practices. When it comes to the preparation and processing of ATMs, the recommendation for nearly a decade has been to outsource. A White Paper on ATM Best Practices by Lowers Risk Groups states: “When at all possible, the processing of currency should be done in a vaulted facility, preferably by the cash-in-transit carrier servicing the account. By having cash loads prepared within a vaulted facility, the minimum compliance standards are addressed. The internal structure allows visibility and accountability…with evidence or controls in place for reference.”

In addition to removing the risk of having employees load ATMs, outsourcing ATM preparation and processing offers many other benefits. Day-to-day operations improve almost instantaneously, allowing branch staff to focus more on customers.

Work with your armored car carrier to discuss options. In line with the above best practice, Rochester’s ATM customers also utilize the company’s Cash Vault Services. This means that the financial institution holds an inventory at one of Rochester’s vaults and Rochester personnel prepare the ATM loads and process the residuals as well as service the machine. This completely removes the bank from having to handle any of the ATM and/or ITM currency.

Know what preventative steps your armored carrier is taking.

If your armored car carrier handles your ATM fleet, it’s good to know what preventative steps the armored car carrier has taken in response to the rising crime. For example, Rochester recently completed a study of its First Line Maintenance services and decided that creating more uniformed hours would reduce risk without significantly impacting customers.

It’s also wise to reach out to your carrier to work together if there is an uptick of criminal activity in your footprint.

To learn more about Rochester’s ATM Services, email info@rocarmco.com