Thefts of entire automated teller machines are becoming more common, and the more forceful the theft, the less evidence police have to go on.
Thieves that stole a machine from First State Bank of Albany in Georgia managed to also damage the cameras that would have recorded their heist, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Sept. 7.
"We are going to review the bank's security footage, but some of the cameras were also damaged, so we don't know what we'll find — if anything," said Phyllis Banks, a spokeswoman for the Albany Police Department.
The theft was reported by a bank customer who wanted to withdraw cash but found that all that was left of the ATM was "a gaping hole and broken bricks," the story said.
The theft came just a few days after a separate ATM theft in Georgia was thwarted. In that incident, police interrupted the theft as it was taking place and arrested the suspects, who police said were attempting to escape in a Dodge Durango with an ATM, after the vehicle crashed. The ATM in that incident was recovered.
The ATM maker NCR Corp. described a number of security measures it offers that can help banks fight ATM theft, the article said.
Its machines can be built to withstand explosive blasts, and can also be built with sensors that set off an alarm when a machine is removed or douse the cash inside with ink to ruin it.
