ATM Security · Security Guide

Safe ATM Usage: 15 Habits That Protect Your Card and PIN

15 simple ATM habits that dramatically lower your risk of card skimming, PIN theft, and card trapping — for consumers of all ages.

ATM Fortify Security Team Payment fraud & ATM security specialists — Updated February 2026

Last Updated: February 2026

Key Takeaways:

  • Most ATM fraud combines two elements: your card data AND your PIN — removing either breaks the chain
  • 30 seconds of observation before inserting your card costs nothing
  • Covering your PIN every single time is the single most reliable individual defence
  • Real-time transaction alerts mean you know about fraud within seconds
  • Trust your instincts — if something feels wrong, use a different machine

Why ATM Habits Matter

An ATM transaction is a brief, routine event — but it involves your card data, your PIN, and your bank account. A few consistent habits transform that routine event into a much harder target for criminals.

None of the following require significant effort or time. They are habits — done automatically, every time, without overthinking.

The 15 Habits

1. Choose Your ATM Carefully

Before you get to the machine:

  • Prefer bank branch ATMs in lobby settings over standalone machines in petrol stations, convenience stores, or quiet areas
  • Prefer ATMs in well-lit, high-footfall locations — criminal installations are harder to execute and maintain under observation
  • If you travel: Be especially cautious at tourist-area ATMs, which are higher-value targets due to transaction volume

2. Check Your Surroundings Before Approaching

  • Is anyone loitering near the machine who is not actively queuing? Move away if so.
  • Can you see the PIN pad clearly from where you are standing? If not, reposition.
  • Is there an unusually long queue? Sometimes accomplices create queues to give a criminal time at a machine.

3. Perform a 30-Second Physical Check

Before inserting your card:

  • Look at the card slot: Unusual thickness, protrusion, or a component that looks like it was added on top?
  • Gently apply lateral pressure to the card reader: Does it wiggle or feel loose?
  • Look at the PIN pad: Does it appear raised, spongy, or different from usual?
  • Check above the PIN pad and screen: Any unusual fixtures, cameras, or attachments?
  • Step back: Does the machine look tampered with overall?

If anything seems off, don't insert your card. How to Spot a Card Skimmer on an ATM: 10 Warning Signs for a detailed guide.

4. Cover Your PIN — Every Single Time

This is the most important habit. Your card data without your PIN is significantly less useful for ATM fraud.

  • Use your hand, wallet, or body to shield the keypad before and during PIN entry
  • Cover even when you can't see a camera — a camera may be present that you cannot see
  • Cover even when no one is standing behind you — a camera positioned from above or in front of the keypad does not require a person nearby

This habit defeats camera-based PIN capture entirely.

5. Never Accept Unsolicited Help

  • If someone approaches and offers to help with your transaction — decline and leave
  • If someone tells you "the machine ate someone's card earlier" — this is a distraction technique; leave
  • If someone tells you to call a number because the ATM has a problem — ignore it; contact the ATM operator or your bank on their official number

Legitimate ATM assistance comes from your bank, not from strangers.

6. Keep Your Transaction Private

  • Be aware of who is behind you and how close
  • Position your body to block the screen from casual observation
  • Wait for the person ahead of you to fully finish before approaching — give them privacy too

7. Cancel and Walk Away If Anything Seems Wrong

  • If the machine behaves unusually — gives unexpected prompts, takes too long, makes unusual sounds — cancel your transaction, retrieve your card, and use a different machine
  • Do not re-enter your PIN if the machine seems to be misbehaving — this may be a card trapping scenario where an accomplice is watching to observe your PIN ATM Fraud Prevention: The Complete Guide

8. Be Alert to Card Retention

  • If the ATM retains your card at the end of a transaction, do not leave — call your bank immediately from the phone in your hand
  • Do not re-insert your card or re-enter your PIN if prompted unexpectedly after your transaction completes
  • A person who then appears and offers to "help you get your card back" should be treated as a suspect — move away and call your bank

9. Take Your Card, Cash, and Receipt

  • Never leave your card in the machine — verify you have retrieved it before leaving
  • Take your cash promptly — do not leave it sitting in the dispenser
  • Take your receipt if one is issued — it contains partial account information; don't leave it in the machine or discard it next to the ATM

10. Check Your Balance and Transactions Regularly

  • Enable transaction alerts on your banking app — you should receive an instant notification for every ATM withdrawal
  • Check your balance after ATM use — does the amount look right?
  • Review your statements at least weekly — look for any transaction you don't recognise, including small amounts

11. Set Transaction Alerts and Limits

  • Most banking apps allow you to set real-time alerts for every transaction — enable this
  • Consider setting a daily ATM withdrawal limit with your bank if your regular withdrawals are well below your account's default limit
  • Consider setting a geographic alert if your bank supports it — flag transactions outside your usual region

12. Use Different Machines if You Notice Anything

  • If you had a problem at an ATM — unusual behaviour, something that looked odd, a card retention — report it and use a different machine for your future transactions
  • Varying your ATMs slightly reduces the value to criminals who install skimmers on specific high-return machines

13. Protect Your Phone and Banking App

Your ATM transaction alerts and account management rely on your phone being secure:

14. Report Suspicious ATMs

  • If you suspect an ATM has been tampered with, report it — call the number on the machine (the ATM operator) and your bank
  • Don't just walk away silently — your report could prevent fraud for the next person in the queue

15. Stay Calm Under Pressure

  • ATM fraud sometimes involves a person creating a situation — a "helpful" stranger, an apparent problem with the machine, a sense of urgency
  • Urgency is a manipulation technique. Take your time. Leave if you are uncomfortable.
  • Your bank can always replace a card, reverse a fraud transaction (with prompt reporting), and support you through an incident. The machine and the cash are replaceable.

A Quick Reference Card (Print or Save)

✅ Choose a surveilled, well-lit ATM
✅ Check surroundings before approaching
✅ 30-second physical check: slot, PIN pad, above pad
✅ COVER YOUR PIN — every time, even alone
✅ Decline all unsolicited "help"
✅ Take your card, cash, receipt
✅ Enable real-time transaction alerts
✅ Report anything suspicious

Safe Payments Checklist: ATM, In Store, Online and Mobile — for a full downloadable safe payments reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is it safer to use an ATM at a bank branch than at a petrol station? A: Generally yes. Bank branch ATMs are inspected more frequently, have better CCTV coverage, and are harder for criminals to tamper with unobserved. Independent ATMs in low-traffic locations carry higher statistical risk.

Q: I always cover my PIN but I've heard shimmers can still steal my card data. Should I still cover? A: Yes, absolutely. Covering your PIN remains important even if a shim is present — the shim captures chip interaction data, but it needs your PIN to enable ATM withdrawals. Without your PIN, the captured data has limited utility for cash fraud.

Q: How do I know if my ATM has already been skimmed? A: You typically cannot know with certainty from the outside. Your best protection is the combination of: physical check before use, always covering your PIN, and monitoring your account in real time with transaction alerts.

Last Updated: February 2026 | Educational purposes only. Contact your bank immediately if you suspect ATM fraud.

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