An email rumor regarding reversing ATM passwords to notify police when robbed.. How true is it?
2006-12-30 03:20:25 · 7 answers · asked by Octopi 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Security
Hi, we are an ATM service company and have seen this comment come up many times.. This idea is clever and was offered as a possible solution to crime at ATM locations. However there are several things that has prevented the implementation of this idea: 1. Current ATMs are not programmed to dial to local police stations at all. The ATMs function in a sense as a computer and modem. This functionality would require significant upgrades to all ATMs and police stations that would want this communication link. 2. The implementation would need to occur on a massive scale. There are over 800,000 ATMs in the USA and nearly all ATMs would need to upgraded to provide a reasonable confidence for any user at anytime to know that an emergency code that was entered would actually work. It would be terrible if a crime victim was thinking that they were alerting police and if the ATM wasn't upgraded, then nothing would occur. 3. People have expressed concern that under the duress of armed robbery, the behavior of a crime victim is not reliable. If the robber suspected that a victim was alerting police, and the victim was fumbling the reverse code, then it could be worse for the victim.
2006-12-31 02:32:01 · answer #1 · answered by bonham16 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, of course not. How would that work if your ATM password was the same forwads and backwards like 1111 or 8448? It's an urban legend, and a bad one at that. Look it up on Snopes if you don't believe me.
2006-12-30 03:22:54 · answer #2 · answered by Geoff S 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
never heard of it! and dont know how it could work because people always make errors when punching the keys to enter there pin,and it would be callin police all the time.
2006-12-30 03:24:07 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
some banks do use this, but as every1 else said, 2882 would not work. police are trying to fix this, and finding other ways to do it
2006-12-30 03:32:03 · answer #4 · answered by orochisasuke 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, it is true, but for PIN numbers.
This sends a silent alarm to notify police, even though you still withdraw properly.
This is unreliable, however, because some PINs can't be reversed (e.g. 2882).
2006-12-30 03:23:57 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
That is a urban legend. It will not work.
http://www.snopes.com/business/bank/pinalert.asp
2006-12-30 03:39:44 · answer #6 · answered by rlh242424 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
False. It is an "urban legend"
2006-12-30 03:24:21 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋