ATMs in Arizona: a thief's paradise

Arizona has recently become a hotbed for ATM crimes. A flurry of news reports, including a story in The Arizona Republicand one on "Good Morning America," about smash-and-grab attacks is garnering attention.The crimes are committed late at night or in the early morning, typically on weekdays, and always at ATMs that are secluded.

Even the most skilled thieves are often unable to crack the vault. And if they do get in, they may find stealing the machine wasn't worth the trouble. Sometimes, they pocket as little as a couple hundred dollars.

"The machines with the least amount of security often have the least amount of cash," said Bob Tramontano ofNCR Corp.

Jim Merrell, director of global product marketing and management forDiebold Inc., says deterrents are the ultimate answer to solving the problem. (ReadATM securityfor more information.)

"You have to almost take away the rewards or make the risk of attack or being caught so high that it's not worth it anymore," Merrell said.