ATM assaults on the rise

Around the United States, theft and destruction of ATMs is becoming increasingly popular.

According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, there have been 24 such assaults on ATMs since January in San Diego County alone. The epidemic is different from thefts involving "skimmers," where customers' PIN codes are stolen. Here, criminals smash the front doors of businesses and yank the ATMs out with chains attached to trucks, or drive a vehicle into them to knock the ATMs off their moorings.

Companies are taking steps to make ATMs more secure. One device is called the "raminator" and is an accordion-type piece of steel that attaches to the ATM and the floor or the wall. The only way thieves can get the ATM loose is to cut through thick steel. Heat sensors and seismic alarms can emit an ear-piercing sound when an ATM is rocked or set afire. Some retailers have taken to removing all cash from the machines at night.

ATMs can cost up to several thousand dollars, and a machine theft can cause more losses for a business than the mere removal of the money in the ATM.