Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, July 19, 1993                   TAG: 9307190007
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: PAMELA YIP HOUSTON CHRONICLE
DATELINE: HOUSTON                                LENGTH: Medium

PROTECT YOUR ATM VISITS FROM CRAFTY CROOKS

Recently, a gang of high-tech thieves hooked up a bogus automated teller machine at a shopping mall in Hartford, Conn. They used it to help themselves to people's bank accounts by getting the machine to record bank account numbers and personal identification codes before spitting back each customer's ATM card. Losses have totaled more than $60,000.

While criminals that clever are rare, you still need to take steps to protect yourself against ATM fraud.

Banks lost a total of $18 million in 1991 (the most recent year for which data are available) to ATM fraud, according to the American Bankers Association.

The first step in making sure you're not victimized is regularly comparing your monthly bank statements against your ATM receipts. Make sure there are no extra ATM withdrawals from your account.

If you see something funny or if your ATM card has been stolen, notify your bank immediately. The law limits your liability if you promptly report the problem to the financial institution.

If you notify the bank within two business days of an ATM card theft, you're liable for the first $50 in losses. The longer you wait, the more you're liable for.

But before you reach that point, take some preventive steps.

"Never give access to your card to anyone," said Mary Brown, spokesman for the Houston-based Pulse EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) Association, an ATM network. "Don't leave your card lying around the house."

Don't fall for the trick of releasing your personal identification code if a caller claims he or she is from your bank and is calling to verify your personal identification number - commonly called the PIN.

"The bank will never call you to verify your PIN number," said Sonia Barbara, spokeswoman for the American Bankers Association. "That's confidential." If you do receive a call like that, call your bank and the police immediately.

Never write your personal identification code on your card or put it on a slip of paper that your keep in your wallet. Memorize your code. If you must record it on paper, put that slip in your bank safe deposit box or some other safe place.

When picking a personal identification code, don't use obvious numbers such as birthdates, the first few digits of a driver's license or home telephone number. A thief who takes your wallet and purse will probably find those numbers on other cards you carried. They'll probably be the first numbers he tries when attempting to use the ATM card.

Don't start a transaction if you feel uncomfortable with your surroundings. Scan the area for shrubbery behind which criminals can hide. Suspicious individuals hanging around a machine, or spotted with binoculars or video cameras nearby should be reported to authorities.

Have your card in your hand before approaching the machine. When entering your personal code, use your body to shield your finger movements, so no one can see your code.

After you've finished your transaction, don't stand there and count your money because it's an open invitation to thieves to snatch it from you.

And don't leave your ATM receipt. Some receipts may show your bank account number and you don't want people to know that. It could provide a clue for those looking for your PIN.