ATM Insecurity: How criminals are putting your safety at risk

(MyFoxBoston.com) -- Many of us think nothing of stopping inside an ATM vestibule for some cash. It's quick and convenient.

However, in recent years we've certainly seen our fair share of violence and thefts inside them. But it's how some thieves are getting inside that could be placing your personal safety at risk.

FOX25's Mark Ockerbloom says there's four walls, a glass enclosure, even a security camera, but pulling cash out of an ATM vestibule may make you an instant target for thieves

In fact, just last week a woman was robbed of cash at a TD Bank in Nashua, N.H..

Last year, our sister station in Seattle, KIRO-TV, uncovered a serious safety concern, with a video showing Mitchell, a blind man, being robbed at a Bank of America ATM, just trying to get some cash.  

“Give me your money,” Mitchell says he was told. “Don't move, don't say a word. I have a weapon. I'll kill you.”

Mitchell chose the ATM because, well, he thought he was safe inside a glass enclosure. But security experts tell FOX25 the glass is really to protect you from bad weather.

How does that make you feel?

“Not too secure,” says Medfield resident Scott Higgins.

Lincoln resident Julie Cherico says “yea, that's a big problem.”

The thief who robbed Mitchell used a non-issued bank card to get in. In fact, most any card with a stripe will open the door. And criminals know this. So we wanted to put it to the test. FOX25 used a Costco card in one instance to get in and it worked.

“That's crazy,” Cherico said. “They need to take care of this right away. To know you can get in with just anything, that's kinda surprising. It's not safe at all. Whoever can get in with any card, its not safe at all.”

“I've used every potential card that's in my wallet, including a Costco card to get inside an atm and they all work,” said Robert Siciliano, a security expert.

FOX25 showed Siciliano the surveillance video and he says all the bank vestibules care about is that magnetic stripe

“It's not looking for identifying information of any kind,” Siciliano said. The reason is because there are so many different bank, credit and debit cards out there that there couldn't possibly be a way to authenticate the user before they actually get into the vestibule.”

And this isn't just happening at Bank of America. At the Eastern Bank in West Roxbury, a Starbucks card and a Walgreens card opened the door. And at Santander Bank, even a gas key got FOX25 in.

We reached out to the banks for comment, they respond but agreed this is an "industry issue." So we turned to the Massachusetts Bankers Association for answers. They issued this statement:

"Customer safety is our first priority. ATM vestibules are not designed exclusively for security purposes, but also for convenient customer access. The vast majority of ATMs/cash dispensers are not enclosed.  Consumers should always be aware of their surroundings and only transact business or use an ATM where they feel comfortable and secure."

Undercover detective Steven Blair says vestibules can make you feel vulnerable.

“You are in an enclosed area, by yourself, taking money out of a machine,” Blair said.

Blair says Boston police are aware of the issue and from a law enforcement perspective, would like a solution.

“From a law enforcement perspective, I would like to see it where it only read credit card numbers and stored them so then down the road if something did happen, law enforcement could back track on what card was used and it could help the investigation,” Blair said.

“There is no security in an ATM vestibule,” Siciliano said. “None. If you think for one second you are going to be secure in an ATM vestibule, think again!”

Cox Media Group