ATM Burglaries Spark GdP Demand for Regulations in Saarland
The escalating trend of ATM robberies in Saarland has prompted the Saarland Police Union (GdP) to push for legal protection measures to secure ATMs.
Fresh off two days of ATM bombings in Saarland, including a recent blast in Beckingen that resulted in substantial property damage, the GdP holds the urgent need for action.
Although the number of ATM blasts decreased from six in 2021 to three in 2022, it experienced a sharp rise to nine completed and two attempted cases in 2023, triggering alarm among the GdP. "These figures couldn't be more alarming, and my earlier warnings from the summer when the number of blasts in Saarland had already soared to seven cases within six months, ring in my ears," GdP state chairman Andreas Rinnert revealed to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
The devastating effects of these ATM explosions are not limited to property damage; the perpetrators' use of explosives pose an imminent threat to the lives of residents, commuters, and emergency services.
The GdP joined forces with representatives from the banking industry, the Bundesbank, the insurance industry, and the police for a joint evaluation in mid-November, to discuss the declaration "ATM blasting round table", formed at the end of 2022. At that gathering, they agreed upon implementing numerous preventive measures voluntarily. However, Rinnert reports that incidents of attempted and completed ATM break-ins have persisted at an alarmingly high level.
Rinnert points out that other countries, like France and the Netherlands, have enforced mandatory security regulations for ATMs. "Key measures, such as coloring auxiliary systems, adhesive systems, structural security measures, fog systems, or night closures, are lawfully required in neighboring countries," he asserted.
Given the appealing target value that ATMs present to criminal groups, Rinnert expressed the need for immediate action. "Their interest in vending machine explosions! Let's make it as arduous as possible for them to capitalize on this opportunity," he emphasized, urging the politicians to act swiftly and introduce mandatory security measures for ATMs.
Additional Insights
- In countries like France and the Netherlands, regulatory bodies, like the Banque de France and industry practices, establish robust security standards, such as BS7872 and ISO9001, to safeguard the payment environment from fraud and cyberattacks.
- Strong authentication measures are a cornerstone of ATM security in countries like France, leading to a decrease in fraud rates. In 2023, fraud rates for internet payments in France fell by 6% to 0.093%.
- Compliance with industry standards ensured regulatory confidence by implementing measures like dynamic risk evaluation, continuous monitoring, and proactive incident management to shield ATMs from potential threats.
GdP Saarland
