There are very few people robbing banks anymore, it's not worth it. ATM explosions fasterthey are less risky and the payouts are much higher. The German Federal Criminal Police has been monitoring this type of crime since 2005, when the numbers started to rise across Europe. The number of attacks then doubled in 2016, reaching 318, and It peaked in 2022, when 496 ATMs were bombed..
A simple explanation for this might be that Germany borders the Netherlands, which Amsterdam and Utrecht networks carry out most of the attacks His home. The Netherlands used to be a hotbed of such bombings, but by 2015 the Dutch had reduced the number of ATMs nationwide from 20,000 to 5,000, reinforced the rest, and encouraged businesses and the public to ditch cash.
With few targets left at home, the perpetrators headed east: to Germany, which turned out to be a paradise for ATM bombers.
There are more than 50,000 ATMs in Germany.As the central bank said in its January report, “cash has a special social significance.” According to the Bundesbank’s 2023 study, the vast majority of Germany’s 83.3 million inhabitants live within one kilometer of an ATM.
In addition, the country’s extensive national highway network provides attackers with an easy escape route. The decentralization of Germany’s banking system also helps criminals: Unlike the Netherlands, where only four banks operate, Germany has a more diverse banking sector, including hundreds of independent savings and loan banks. In addition, each of the country’s 16 federal states has its own police force, making coordination a challenge.
The German government announced this last month. Increases the prison sentence for ATM bombings to a minimum of two years and a maximum of 15 years.It expands police powers of surveillance in relation to attacks.
For its part, the German financial sector says members have spent more than €300 million in recent years on security measures such as installing alarm systems and security technologies, closing ATM yards at night and loading machines with less money.
despite this Anti-theft solutions can cause problems too.For example, ink smudge techniques contain chemicals that are impossible to remove, according to the German central bank, so Banknotes become unusable after being coloured.Although the Bundesbank reimburses credit institutions for smudged and stuck banknotes, it charges a fee if they are destroyed under false pretenses – which is the case for the vast majority of refund requests.
In 2023, banks delivered about 500,000 ink-stained banknotes due to false alarms.However, the German central bank did not disclose its value.
Cover image source: Innocenti
