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ABN Amro shuts down hundreds of ATMs due to explosive attacks

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December 4, 2019

Dutch bank ABN Amro has temporarily shut down and emptied 479 ATMs — more than half of its ATM fleet in the Netherlands — due to a sharp rise in violent ATM explosive attacks.

"The attacks are causing anxiety and unrest among inhabitants and businesses in the vicinity of the ATMs," the bank said in an announcement yesterday. 

Of the closed machines — which the bank identified as a "certain type" of cash dispenser — 380 of them are ABN Amro machines and 90 are former ABN Amro machines that had been remodeled into uniform yellow cash dispensers in recent months. 

At another 400 locations, ABN Amro has a different type of cash dispenser. These will remain open for use, the bank said. 

Jos van der Stap, national coordinator for robbery at the local police, told NL Times, that of the 62 ATM bombings in the Netherlands this year, 50 of them were aimed at ABN Amro. He believes the criminals will turn their focus to other banks now. 

"These criminals are always busy with how they can blow open ATMs and often continue until they find a way," Van der Stap said in the report. "They continue, and the expectation that they will look for other targets is quite high."

Explosive attacks on ATMs is a growing problem in Europe. In November, North Holland, a province in the northwestern part of the Netherlands, saw five ATM explosions in a week. 

Recent figures from the European Association for Secure Transactions showed that the number of solid explosive attacks on ATMs in Europe has increased in recent years as well as the use of triacetone triperoxide — a chemical often referred to as "Mother of Satan" due to its high volatility.