MONEY FOR NOTHING
Today at lunch I was attempting to change the pin on a Barclays Visa (unsuccessfully) and as guy in front of me left and I stepped up the ATM the machine it issues me with around two hundred pounds in COLD HARD CASH CASH!
Naturally I grabbed the money and tracked down the guy who had just gone into the bank. He took the money without saying a word so I hope I got the right person.
My thoughts
If I got the wrong person he is now telling his mates that he went to the bank and as he left a complete stranger gave him £200!
When did cash machines start issuing cash AFTER the card had been returned? I thought that had stopped years ago because people were much more likely to leave without their card than without their cash.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:46
The machines for my bank in Spain return the card first. I can’t recall in other countries.
Did I share this with you? Banks are insane.
April 17th, 2008 at 15:26
No that is scary. Especially in 2008.
Actually the reason I had to reset my pin was because I stuffed up the complicated new online login process with my “Pin Sentry” which is basically a calculator that spits out secret login codes when I feed it my visa card (which I only have to use the Pin Sentry), pin (the correct one) and a cookie.
After my botched login my bank have insisted that I have to be issues another new pin. Two promptly arrived and I only took the latest dated one to the ATM and it was rejected three times because I figured it was worth three tries rather than walk home and get the second pin.
April 20th, 2008 at 15:59
They always give the card first in London. I had the same thing for the same amount of dosh in Auckland once……went and bought some shoes because there was literally no one there when i walked up to the machine and the bank was closed…..lucky me, not so lucky you.
April 20th, 2008 at 16:04
Erik, I just read the link you posted here. I have just finished reading a book called “Other Peoples Money”. It’s the true life british version of Leonardo DiCaprio’s “Catch Me if you can”.
This kid is 16 and fleeces everything you can think of through systems that seem so simple and at the same time quite scary.
Definately worth a read.
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:34
I think they have been like that for a long time. I remember when they used to give you the cash before the card. The issue with this was that the next person in line would get up to the machine and could get your card. And sometimes they could even pull more money out of your account, depending on whether they returned the card straight after the money or asked you if you wanted another service.