To avoid the ATM scam, press the EUR 200 on the button left in this case. The other one will cost you an additional 9 EUR.

In recent months I have noticed that banks are trying to get you to pay them extra fees when you draw out money on an ATM. This ATM scam is spreading like wildfire. And I see it all over the world. So watch out when you draw cash from an ATM. It’s perfectly legal. But it’s still a scam. So watch out.

Most people who travel the world these days have some sort of credit or debit card that they use to either pay for services with. Or draw cash money from an ATM.

I personally have two cards that I mostly use for drawing out cash. I tend to spend my money at smaller businesses, who do not always take cards.

In recent months I have noticed in several countries around the world that I get two options when I draw out money. One option is the way I have always taken money out. I get let’s say 200€ from the machine. I pay a little fee and then my bank back in Denmark gives me the exchange rate of the day.

But now I am also getting a second option. This is where the bank I am drawing from is asking if I want them to exchange the money. The button for accepting this is always placed on the bottom right of the ATM. Because this is where you tend to press when you want to proceed. And it’s also the bottom that you are most likely to press if you are right handed like most people. Many people just press this without really giving thought to what you are doing.

What happens though is that you press yes to an exchange rate that is considerably worse than the one you would get at your bank back home. I have been checking it out for a few months now. So far I have NEVER seen an example where it was wise to let the bank you take the money from exchange your money.

And it’s not like my local bank in Denmark is giving killer exchange rates. They are doing the exact same thing if a foreigner wants to draw money from their ATM.

I have been checking out the differences between the usual way to draw money and the new “offer” you are getting from the banks these days. It costs me between 3€ and 5€ extra for each 100€ I take out of the ATM. That is on top of the fees I already pay when drawing money out. Pure ATM scam.

So when taking money out, be careful what you are saying yes to. Make sure that you let your bank back at home do the exchange and not the local bank. Because it’s a scam and it seems to be happening pretty much everywhere these days.

The world of financial crooks in suits and ties might be coming to me saying that this is just an additional service they offer. And blah blah blah. But it’s NOT. It’s an ATM scam trying to get people to accept a bad exchange rate instead of a good one. It’s as bad as when some budget airlines try several times during a booking to make you buy an insurance that less than 1 in 10 000 passengers ever needs.

Happy travels, but look out for ATM scams.

So all my traveling friends. Be aware of this ATM scam. Cause it will give you more money to explore the world if you don’t fall for it :-).