Bombings prompt ABN Amro to close dozens of ATMs

ABN Amro decided to shut down a few dozen of its ATMs after a series of bombings. The bank knows that this may be annoying for some customers whose regular ATM will suddenly be unavailable, but the measure is taken with the safety of customers in mind, a spokesperson for ABN Amro said to NOS.

The bank is shutting down ATMs at the most risky locations. For each machine ABN Amro checks whether there is an alternative in the area, otherwise a different solution will be sought. Exactly how many ATMs the bank is closing and where they are located, the spokesperson would not say as to not make the criminals wiser.

Over the past years various other banks also took measures against ATM bombings. Rabobank and ING also previously closed dozens of ATMs. And in 2017 Rabobank started deploying security guards to monitor ATMs at apartment complexes. 

Now criminals seem to be targeting ABN Amro. So far this year there have been 62 ATM bombings in the Netherlands, over 40 percent more than last year, according to NOS. In most cases, an ABN Amro ATM was involved, the bank's spokesperson said to the broadcaster. ABN Amro has 900 ATMs in total.