LONDON - The ATM Industry Association and the Global ATM Security Alliance have published research by a leading United Kingdom criminologist about the criminal thinking behind ATM crimes.
The study, ATM Crime: Offenders' Perspectives, was completed in December 2005 by Martin Gill, a criminology professor at the University of Leicester and a research team at the Perpetuity Research & Consultancy International Ltd. The study focuses on perspectives from six ATM criminals, who collectively admitted to more than 1,000 offenses.
"More than 50 of these offenses were committed at ATMs, mostly muggings or robberies," according to the study. "These findings provide insights into the decision-making processes of those committing ATM crimes, and provide intelligence and potential learning opportunities to inform improved protection methods."
Some of the study's interviewees were introduced to ATM crime by older relatives or peers. For others, ATM crime became an extension of street robberies. All interviewees committed the ATM crimes to raise money to fund drug addiction. Victims were often selected because of their appearance, and women were targeted by some because they were perceived as being less threatening.
Different kinds of distractions also were found to be critical to the success of the ATM crime, and the criminals interviewed said they preferred quiet locations over busy, downtown areas. However, some offenders, who did prefer busy High Street locations, recognized the advantages of merging into a crowd during the getaway.
The study's findings will become part of GASA's Cognito online fraud library, which is developing a crime prevention section containing insights useful for making ATM security more effective.
For more information about the study, e-mail Mike Lee.
