Most Dangerous ATM Locations

Using an ATM makes life easy. However, you have to be careful. The machine is a direct link to your bank account -- money you need for your bills and living expenses. If your account is compromised you'll suffer some inconveniences.

CNN Money reports that some ATM locations are worse than others. As you might imagine, bank ATMs are the safest. They're less likely to be tampered with. On the other end of the spectrum, the worst ATMs are located in convenience stores and outdoor kiosks. These are more likely to have skimming devices or people who watch you enter your PIN.

You can choose to use the safest ATMs and reduce the chances of a security problem. However, you have less power to fend off computer hackers. Citibank recently had a problem with a hacked computer that gave up debit card numbers and PIN details, and fraudsters created fake debit cards and drained customer accounts (see The Exciting World of ATM Fraud). If this happens, your best defense is to change your PIN periodically and monitor your account online.

Further reading:

• How to Select a Good PIN
• ATM Security Basics
• How Skimming Scams Work