ATM: In today’s digital age, fulfilling the need for cash is not as difficult as it used to be. Where once people used to stand in long queues for hours in banks, now ATM (Automatic Teller Machines) have made this problem very easy. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, these machines allow people to withdraw cash whenever they want. During this process of withdrawing cash from an ATM, many people adopt a common habit – pressing the Cancel button after taking out cash. But the question is, is it really necessary to do so for your safety?
Does pressing the Cancel button make the account safe?
When a customer withdraws money from an ATM, he first inserts his card and enters the PIN. It is often seen that after the transaction is completed and cash is withdrawn, the customer presses the Cancel button and leaves the machine. The reason for this is believed to be that this completely erases the PIN and other details recorded in the ATM machine.
But experts say that this notion is not completely correct. Actually, the information entered in the ATM machine is automatically deleted from the system as soon as the transaction is completed. That is, whether you press the Cancel button or not, your PIN and account details are not saved in the machine.
How is the PIN safe in an ATM?
Many media reports and cybersecurity experts say that an encryption system is present in every ATM machine. Whenever you enter the PIN, it directly reaches the bank server by converting it into a secret code. As soon as your transaction is completed, that data is automatically deleted. This means that your account information is not stored anywhere in the machine.
Then why is the Cancel Button used?
Now the question arises that if the information is deleted beforehand, then what is the real function of the Cancel Button? The direct answer to this is that the Cancel Button is used when you make a mistake during the transaction. For example, if you have chosen the wrong option, entered the wrong amount, or want to stop the transaction midway, you can immediately end the process by pressing the Cancel button.
That is, pressing this button after getting cash is more of a habit than your security, although there is no harm in pressing it for peace of mind.
Keep these things in mind while using an ATM
Even though pressing the Cancel button is not necessary from a security point of view, some precautions are very important while using an ATM. While entering the ATM PIN, always cover the screen with your hand so that the PIN remains safe from any person standing nearby or a hidden camera. Avoid taking help from a stranger because the biggest fraud often starts from here.
Apart from this, before using the machine, one should check whether there is any skimming device or extra chip installed on the ATM slot. Many times, cyber criminals steal the information of customers’ cards by installing fake devices.
Is pressing the Cancel button just a mental satisfaction?
Banking experts believe that pressing the Cancel button after withdrawing cash is just a way of mental satisfaction for most people. In fact, your safety is already ensured by the machine and the bank’s server system. Still, adopting this habit is not harmful; rather, it keeps you alert.