Choose a busy, well-lit ATM—preferably inside a bank or another monitored location—inspect it before use, cover the keypad while entering your PIN, and leave if anything feels wrong. Before you travel, check your card issuer’s fees, overseas access and lost-card procedure, and carry a separate backup payment method.
Choose an ATM in a visible, monitored place
Use an ATM inside a bank or in another busy, well-lit, monitored location when possible. Avoid remote, isolated or poorly lit machines. These choices reduce exposure but cannot guarantee that a machine is safe. The FBI’s skimming guidance, Croatian government advice and Global Affairs Canada guidance dated October 8, 2025 all recommend choosing visible, busy locations.
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Check current travel advice for your destination as well. For example, the U.S. State Department’s Ireland advisory warns about distraction theft around ATMs. That is destination-specific advice, not a universal assessment of risk everywhere.
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Inspect the ATM and protect your PIN
Look for signs of tampering
Before inserting your card, look at the card reader and keypad. Avoid the machine if parts appear loose, crooked, damaged, scratched, unusually thick or added on, or if you see adhesive residue. A skimmer may be fitted over or inside a reader, and hidden cameras or keypad overlays can capture a PIN. An ordinary-looking machine is not proof that it has not been compromised.
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If anything seems altered, do not use the ATM. Tell the bank or machine operator, or alert local authorities. The FDIC’s skimming advice also describes fake faceplates and hidden cameras; the FBI’s July 14, 2011 explainer discusses tampering signs including loose or crooked parts, damage, scratches and adhesive residue.
Shield the keypad and stay focused
Cover the keypad fully with your free hand while entering your PIN. This can obstruct a hidden camera, but it cannot rule out every way a PIN might be captured. Never tell your PIN to a stranger.
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Watch for people trying to distract or interrupt you. If someone approaches in a way that makes you uneasy, cancel the transaction and move somewhere safe. Do not let an apparent bystander persuade you to enter your PIN again.
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- Do not accept unsolicited help. Do not re-enter your PIN for a stranger or follow instructions from someone who approaches you at the machine.
- Contact your card issuer promptly. Use the issuer’s app or a telephone number from your card or official bank materials—not a number supplied by a bystander.
- Follow the issuer’s instructions. Ask whether the card should be locked or cancelled and how to access funds using your backup payment method.
- Check your account activity. Report transactions you do not recognize to the issuer quickly. The FBI advises contacting the issuer if an ATM retains a card, and the FDIC recommends checking accounts and promptly reporting suspicious activity.
Prepare your card and backup payments before departure
ATM access, card acceptance, PIN rules, fees and lost-card support depend on the destination and your issuer. Check the terms for your specific card rather than assuming that a rule applies everywhere.
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- Travel Pouch for Passport and Money: 2 large zippered compartments with inner mesh dividers hold a full size passport, phone up to iPhone 16 Pro Max, up to 6 credit cards, boarding passes and multiple currencies
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- Ask your issuer about ATM withdrawal and foreign transaction fees, exchange conversion terms, destination acceptance and how to report a lost or retained card. The U.S. Department of State advises travelers to learn their bank’s fees and policies and check for branches or partner institutions at the destination.
- Confirm that your PIN will work overseas. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada notes that some foreign ATMs may not recognize a PIN longer than four digits and that issuers may freeze cards used abroad. This is Canadian consumer guidance; travelers elsewhere should confirm their own issuer’s rules.
- Ask whether you need to notify the issuer about travel and what to do if the card is lost, stolen or retained. Carry a separate backup card or another payment method accepted at your destination.
- Take out only the cash needed for ordinary expenses and avoid carrying a large amount. The FDIC’s travel tips recommend limiting cash and checking ATM and foreign transaction fees.
- Monitor account statements during your trip and for months afterward. Global Affairs Canada recommends continued monitoring after travel.
When should you choose local currency at an ATM?
There is no single best choice for every card. The FDIC advises choosing local currency and letting your financial institution convert it if your card has no foreign transaction or currency conversion fee. Check your own card’s terms first; a different fee structure may change which option costs less.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How much cash should you carry?
Withdraw enough for immediate everyday needs rather than taking out a large amount, and keep a separate payment method available in case cash or a card is lost. A money belt worn under clothing is an optional way to carry a small amount of cash; it does not protect against ATM skimming, card retention or theft at the machine. The UK Foreign Office travel guide suggests a money belt, while the FDIC advises against carrying large sums.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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- Size 10.75"W x 5"H x 0.125"D, Weight 0.38 Lbs, material Polyester
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