I do not know whether or not this tip is accurate as I got it in an email, but it can’t hurt to try.
If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your Pin # in reverse. For example if your pin number is 1234 then you would put in 4321. The ATM recognizes that your pin number is backwards from the ATMcard you placed in the machine. The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you.
This information was recently broadcasted on TV and it states thatit is seldom used because people don’t know it exists.
It would be great if it did work and I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try. if nothing spits out just enter the proper number.
The World’s Top Twenty Tips for ATM Use
Choosing an ATM
Tip 1
Where possible, use ATMs with which you are most familiar. Alternatively, choose well-lit, well-placed ATMs where you feel comfortable.
Tip 2
Scan the whole ATM area before you approach it. Avoid using the ATM altogether if there are any suspicious-looking individuals around or if it looks too isolated or unsafe.
Tip 3
Avoid opening your purse, bag or wallet while in the queue for the ATM. Have your card ready in your hand before you approach the ATM.
Tip 4
Notice if anything looks unusual or suspicious about the ATM indicating it might have been altered. If the ATM appears to have any attachments to the card slot or key pad, do not use it. Check for unusual instructions on the display screen and for suspicious blank screens. If you suspect that the ATM has been interfered with, proceed to another ATM and inform the bank.
Tip 5
Avoid ATMs which have messages or signs fixed to them indicating that the screen directions have been changed, especially if the message is posted over the card reader.
Banks and other ATM owners will not put up messages directing you to specific ATMs, nor would they direct you to use an ATM which has been altered.
Using an ATM
Tip 6
Be especially cautious when strangers offer to help you at an ATM, even if your card is stuck or you are experiencing difficulty with the transaction. You should not allow anyone to distract you while you are at the ATM.
Tip 7
Check that other individuals in the queue keep an acceptable distance from you. Be on the look-out for individuals who might be watching you enter your PIN.
Tip 8
Stand close to the ATM and shield the keypad with your hand when keying in your PIN
( you may wish to use the knuckle of your middle finger to key in the PIN).
Tip 9
Follow the instructions on the display screen, e.g. do not key in your PIN until the ATM requests you to do so.
Tip 10
If you feel the ATM is not working normally, press the Cancel key and withdraw your card and then proceed to another ATM, reporting the matter to your financial institution.
Tip 11
Never force your card into the card slot.
Tip 12
Keep your printed transaction record so that you can compare your ATM receipts to your monthly statement.
Tip 13
If your card gets jammed, retained or lost, or if you are interfered with at an ATM, report this immediately to the bank and/or police using the help line provided or nearest phone.
Tip 14
Do not be in a hurry during the transaction, and carefully secure your card & cash in your wallet, handbag or pocket before leaving the ATM.
Managing Your ATM Use
Tip 15
Memorise your PIN
(if you must write it down, do so in a disguised manner and never carry it with your card).
Tip 16
NEVER disclose your PIN to anyone, whether to family member, bank staff or police.
Tip 17
Do not use obvious and guessable numbers for your PIN like your date of birth.
Tip 18
Change your PIN periodically, and, if you think it may have been compromised, change it immediately.
Tip 19
Set your daily ATM withdrawal limit at your branch at levels you consider reasonable.
Tip 20
Regularly check your account balance and bank statements and report any discrepancies to your bank immediately.
Remember—-The Urban Myth about reversing your PIN number to signal distress is just that….a MYTH…it does not work!
Excellent tips rameshwar, thanks for the comment. ^:)^
By taking responsibility for your children’s online computer use, parents can greatly minimize any potential risks of being online.
Make it a family rule to:
# Never give out identifying information – home address, school name, or telephone number – in a public message forum such as chat or bulletin boards, and always be sure you’re dealing with someone that both you and your child know and trust before giving it out via e-mail.
# Think carefully before revealing any personal information about you or your family, such as age, marital status, or financial information. Consider using a pseudonym or unlisting your child’s name if your service allows it.
# Never respond to messages or bulletin board items that are suggestive, obscene, abusive, belligerent, threatening, or make you feel uncomfortable. Encourage your children to tell you if they encounter any such messages. If you or your child receives a message that is harassing, of a sexual nature, or threatening, forward a copy of the message to your service provider and ask for their assistance.
# Instruct your child not to click on any links that are contained in e-mail from persons they don’t know. Such links could lead to sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate web sites.
# Never allow a child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they meet online without parental permission. If a meeting is arranged, make the first one in a public place, and be sure to accompany your child.
# Get to know the sites your child uses. If you don’t know how to log on, get your child to show you. Find out what types of information they offer and whether there are ways for parents to block out objectionable material.
# Should you become aware of the transmission, use, or viewing of child pornography while online, immediately report this to your service provider.
# Remember that people online may not be who they seem. Because you can’t see or even hear the person it is easy for someone to misrepresent him or herself. Therefore, someone indicating that “she” is a “12-year-old girl” could in reality be a 40-year-old man. Always be aware of the dangers.
# Set reasonable rules and guidelines for computer use by your children. Decide whether or not to use parental control tools or protective software. Discuss these rules with children and put a note near the computer as a reminder. Remember to monitor their compliance of these rules, especially when it comes to the amount of time your child spends online. A child or teenager’s excessive use of online services or bulletin boards, especially late at night, may be a clue that there might be a problem. Remember that personal computers and online services should not be used as electronic babysitters.
# Be sure to make this a family activity. Consider keeping the computer in a family room rather than the child’s bedroom. Get to know their “online friends” just as you would get to know all of their other friends.
What Are the Risks?
Important Note: With any discussion of risks, it’s important to realize that the most horrendous crimes are also the least likely to happen. As with all aspects of life, the risk should be put into context. Statistically, probably the greatest risk is that a child will encounter people in chat rooms and newsgroups who are mean or unpleasant. Another “risk” is that a child will spend a lot of wasted time in areas that aren’t very productive.
Physical Harassment
Although not very likely, there is a slight risk that, while online, a child might provide information or arrange an encounter that could risk his or her safety or the safety of family members. In a few cases, pedophiles have used e-mail, bulletin boards and chat areas to gain a child’s confidence and then arrange a face-to-face meeting.
Exposure to Inappropriate Material
An obvious risk is that a child may be exposed to inappropriate material: material that is sexual, hateful, violent in nature, or encourages dangerous or illegal activities.
Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco and other Dangers
Some web sites and newsgroups contain information that advocates the use of drugs, tobacco or alcohol. It’s even possible to find places on the Internet where you can learn to make bombs or obtain weapons. There are no known cases as yet, where a child has committed an act of violence or used a substance as a result of going online. Yet, with a resource as vast and as uncontrolled as the Internet, you’re bound to find all sorts of information, good and bad.
Objectionable Messages
A child might encounter e-mail, chat or bulletin board messages that are harassing, demeaning, or abusive. This risk may not be life threatening, but it could affect a child’s self esteem and is more than likely to occur at one time or another to any child who engages in chat rooms or exchanges messages on bulletin boards, so you should be aware that this happens.
Legal and Financial
There is also the risk that a child could do something that has negative legal or financial consequences, such as giving out a parent’s credit card details or doing something that violates another person’s rights. Legal issues aside, children should be taught good manners on the Internet and to behave online as they would in public and to avoid being rude, mean or inconsiderate to other users.
Password Security
Children should be cautioned to never give out their passwords to anyone even if the person claims to work for an Internet service provider. When in doubt, tell children to ask permission. You should also know the provider’s policy regarding passwords (most Internet Service Providers’ staff will never ask a member for their password). There is a risk that an Internet account could be misused or stolen by obtaining a user’s password.
Privacy
Children have a right to privacy. Everything about them: their name, age, what school they go to, is the personal business of them and their families. No one, including reputable companies, have a right to extract this information from children without first checking with the child’s parents.
Gambling
There are sites that allow people to gamble with real money or just “for fun.” In some cases these sites may be operating legally in the jurisdiction where they are physically located but it is generally illegal (and inappropriate) for minors to gamble regardless of where they are. Although most online gambling sites require a person to use a credit card or write a check to transfer funds.
Remember that your involvement in your child’s online life is by far the best insurance you can have of their safety