Whether You’re headed out for one final weekend at the cottage, or spending Labour Day in town, odds are good that you’ll be making a stop at an ATM for some fast cash. And how appropriate: today marks the anniversary of the first magnetic stripe-based ATM’s opening way back in 1969. Click through these links for a tour of ATMs, past and present.
Written upon his death, this New York Times news article focuses on ATM inventor John Shepherd-Barron. Who knew the history of a cash dispensing machine could be so interesting?
No one wants to be the victim of an ATM scam. But in some cases, the scammer is the originator of those ?It could happen to you? chain emails. Will entering your PIN in reverse summon the police? Can a scammer trap your card and get your PIN with an easy tweak to the card reader? Check out Snopes.com’s database of ATM-related stories to find out what’s a real threat, and what’s not.
Legitimate ATM scams do exist, though, and It’s good to be prepared. The New York State Banking Department has hype-free advice for safe ATM use.