CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It can happen in the blink of an eye. You’re walking or driving up to an ATM, and the next thing you know, somebody pops out and sticks a gun in your face.
“Crooks don’t care where they attack as long as its accessible,” one ATM user said.
You might think the Wells Fargo ATM at Dany’s Supermarket on The Plaza looks safe. It has lights, cameras, even a mirror to help users stay aware of their surroundings.
However, on Tuesday morning, police reports say someone robbed a woman at gunpoint, forcing her to withdraw cash.
In March, an armed guard was caught off guard by two people with guns. Just this month, a 19-year old woman was carjacked near a busy shopping center, both at ATMs.
“She said, 'I was sitting in a car, and a gentleman tapped on the window pointing a gun at me,'” the woman’s mother said.
Self-defense experts said your car is one of the best ways to protect yourself.
“We forget that an automobile is a phenomenal weapon.”
The best way to protect yourself happens long before someone wielding a gun approaches you at an ATM.
“It’s important to always be aware of your surroundings,” an ATM user said.
That means put the cell phone away when you’re approaching an ATM. Distractions could make you an easy target for a robbery.
