ATM Caution

[backhoeboogie]

Saturday I ran plum out of nickels. The bank has a drive through ATM. There was a truck in front of me so naturally I kept back about 100 feet. When it was clear I pulled up and slid in my check card. The menu promted me to "next transaction" or something like that. I pulled out $200 cash and asked for a receipt. The machine never asked for my PIN but gave me the cash and receipt. The more I thought the more puzzled I became drivng off. I pulled over and look at the receipt which said there was only $338 in the account! Whoa! That is not my account. It was then I suspected it came out of the account of the guy in front of me. There are four digits following all the XXXXXXXX's on the slip so I compared the digits to previous slips which only added confirmation, these aren't my nickels. Monday a.m. I called the bank and sure enough, there was no withdrawal from my account. I faxed them a copy of the receipt. They are supposed to fix it.

When you leave an ATM, make sure it is all closed out. Even if someone inserts their check card, it will make no difference. Mine was fully inserted. The lady at the bank says there is a "time out" but my transaction must have occurred too fast.

She said that if the folks in front of me had gone overdrawn because of my blunder, they would cover it and she thanked me for contacting the bank.

Be careful with ATMs.

 

[john250]

That's scary. My checking is barely big enough for me. I don't need the next guy in line getting lucky.

 

[Gate Opener]

That's scary. My checking is barely big enough for me. I don't need the next guy in line getting lucky.

Hello

 

[VanC]

You are to be commended for going through the time and effort it took to return the $200. Many people wouldn't have bothered. Thanks for the tip, too.

 

[chrisy]

bhb, :clap: :clap: to you what a nice person you are, most would not have bothered. Not sure if our ATM machines work the same way but thanks for pointing that out, I will look next time.

 

[backhoeboogie]

You are to be commended for going through the time and effort it took to return the $200. Many people wouldn't have bothered. Thanks for the tip, too.

Thanks but it was actually pretty stupid of me not to realize what was happening in the first place. It was probably even dumber to realize that those machines have to be cancelled out when you are done.

The old bank was bought out and a new one is there. The machines are different and most of us are obviously not familiar with the new features.

I would never take something that wasn't mine. I especially wouldn't take advantage of a person who is short on nickels. That money didn't come out of the bank, it came out of someone's account.

They ought to put warning signs up when they change the machines.

Thank you too Chrisy. No big deal. Most all of ya'll would have done the same.