Banks do an excellent job keeping their customers safe while on the bank’s premises. However, there has been a significant uptick in robberies of bank customers taking place after they leave the safety of the bank’s parking lot. Although you can’t control what happens beyond the premises of the bank, there are some safety tips to share with your customers to help keep them safe.
Make Your Customers S.A.F.E.
News From the Vault
January 3, 2019
Subtle Deposit Bags
The primary target for a robber is the deposit bag. Keeping them out of plain site goes a long way towards prevention. The use of backpacks, shopping bags, larger purses, or book bags are excellent ways to keep deposit bags concealed during their transfer from the customer’s location to the bank.
Alternative Routes
Most people drive or walk the same routes every day. Unfortunately, robbers also know this. Many times, a simple “fender bender” is more nefarious than it appears. Altering routes between the bank and the customer’s location makes this type of robbery much more difficult to plan and implement. Advise customers that if they feel that they are being followed, they should do not drive to the bank or back to the customer’s location. Instead, the customer should dial 911 and drive to the closest police station, keeping the dispatcher informed of their location until arriving at the station.
Flexible Scheduling
As with routes, frequently the same person comes to the bank at the same time every day. Encourage them to alter their deposit/withdrawal times throughout the week. In addition, encourage them to send different people to conduct the transactions from time to time. Unpredictable schedules make a coordinated robbery much more difficult to complete.
Exits and Entrances
Unfortunately, most customer robberies occur as they are either leaving or returning to their location after making their transactions. Before leaving the location, they should have a good look outside, keeping an eye out for people and cars in view of the exit. They should pay particular attention to cars with multiple occupants in them as well as cars moving from space to space in the parking lot.
While this type of robbery attempt is not new, it’s becoming more common. Bank employees and customers alike need to be aware that criminal behavior is changing and evolving, and because of this they need to be more cautious and aware of their environment. Hopefully these tips will help keep your customers S.A.F.E.
This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute and is not intended to take the place of legal or risk management advice. Readers should consult their own counsel or other representatives for any such advice. Any and all third-party websites or sources referred to herein are for informational purposes only and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Intact Insurance Group USA LLC (“Intact”). Intact hereby disclaims any and all liability arising out of the information contained herein.
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