You need to be very careful these days while taking out money from an ATM or even while collecting cash at the Teller, someone could be watching your every move. Recently a friend of mine went to collect cash at HDFC bank at Vasant Kunj, New Delhi branch. After she had collected the cash from the teller and as she turned around she heard a guy telling her that she needs to get the money stamped! Before she could react to what the guy told her 10K went missing from her purse.

How did that happen? Well even she has no clue about it. Rumor has it that there are some people who hypnotize you in a split second and take the cash from you. A few of my friends have had similar experiences, the common thing has been that neither one knew how the money slipped away from them.

Anyways, my friend went back to the bank and asked the manager to show her the recording as she was standing next to the teller. The surprising part was that HDFC, Vasant Kunj branch does not have any CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) installed. Isn’t that a mandatory thing in any bank?

Things you should always keep in mind while taking out cash.

1. Whenever you need to take out large sums of cash, take a friend along with you. Let the friend stand at a distance and monitor people who are standing behind you.

2. Avoid using an ATM in the night, especially if there is no guard standing outside.

3. Do not enter an ATM if there is someone already using it, please respect their privacy. If someone walks in when you are there, politely ask them to wait outside.

4. Don’t entertain small talk when you are at the Teller or at the ATM, employees at the bank might mistake the person as your friend and would not say anything if they see the person stealing money from you.

5. If you are alone and need to withdraw cash, ask the guard or some employee to watch your back.

If you have had a similar experience, please use the comment box below to tell me about it.