PNB rolls out central monitoring system to prevent ATM theft

To check roberies at its ATMs, Punjab National Bank has introduced a solution which will play a warning as well alert the nearest police station if any miscreant will try to break open the machine or steal cash.
"'You are being watched. Do not do it': This warning message will be played in the ATM loudly if any miscreant tries to break open cash dispensing machine to loot money," PNB, Executive Director, Rakesh Sethi said here today.
The new system called Centralised Monitoring System has been rolled out on pilot basis whereby a warning message will be played in the ATM as and when any attempt is being made to steal cash.

"What we are installing on pilot basis in Delhi is a centralised monitoring system in which there will be a couple of cameras along with interactive voice system from central hub," Sethi said on the sidelines of SLBC meeting here.
If any miscreant tries to break open ATM machine, it will play a message: "you are being watched. Do not do it and we are coming", said Sethi.
Even if the warning message does not deter the miscreant, an alert in the shape of message will reach the nearest police station and bank branch for further action, he added.

Sethi said if an attempt is made to break the camera installed in ATM, nearest police station will be alerted about the incident for appropriate action, he said.

PNB has 1,700 offsite ATMs, of which, 1000 have guards. "When we find this system satisfactory, we will install this system on all 700 ATMs," he said.
However, he said deploying guard at each ATMs is a costly proposition for any bank. PNB has found 2 per cent transactions at ATMs between 11 PM and 6 AM.