5 Things You Should Know Before Taking Out Cash From ATMs

Using an ATM has become one of the
most commonplace habits in pretty
much every corner of the globe.



But how much do you really know
about the machine providing you with
cash?



I know I never really gave them
much thought — I’m usually just
thankful to see I still have money in my
bank account when I’m using the
helpful device.



There’s a surprising amount of
information about their history and
how to keep your funds safe while
using an ATM.


For example, do you
know how long ago the first machine
was put in place?



Or what made other
early models actually pretty
dangerous for folks to use?


Take a look to learn more about the
common device and how you can
protect your cash from evil jerks trying
to steal from you.

1. There Could Be Way More Hidden
Fees Than You Think

According to reports from AARP, there
are several fees that most of us don’t
realize are included with various
transactions.


Most of us know we can be charged
extra for using a machine not owned by
our personal bank, but other fees
include: a charge for mailing a monthly
paper statement of your ATM activity,
another for using the machine
“excessively,” and even a fee for a
transaction being denied due to
insufficient funds.

2. They’ve Been Around Since The
1930s

In 1939, a man named Luther Simjian
submitted the patent for the first ever
ATM.


He called it the “Bankmatic” and it was
installed at City Bank of New York, but it
wasn’t a big hit. The bank got rid of it
after just six months.

3. The Machines Used To Be
Radioactive

British inventor John Shepherd-Barron
is credited with crafting the
predecessor of our current machines,
but there was one slight catch: Users
were exposed to a wee bit of radiation.



Since there were no debit cards yet,
folks used a check lined with carbon 14,
which the machine would recognize
and match with their PIN.

4. Thieves Can Easily Steal Your
Info

Criminals have been attempting to
exploit ATM users since they first
became popular in the 1960s.


Early antics started with fake machines
and have since escalated to high-tech
devices, known as “skimmers,”
recording your personal information.
PCMag recommends checking each
machine before you insert your card by
looking for tampering and giving the
sections a good wiggle.

5. America Has More ATMs Than
Any Other Country

Although we have the most when it
comes to the sheer number of machines
— over 420,000 according to the
Washington Post — other countries like
Brazil and Russia outrank us when it
comes to the number available per
100,000 users.