It has been circulating for several years that there is an emergency button on the ATM boxes capable of locking ongoing bank fraud. The key is to “cancel”, and although it actually plays a useful role in the safety of transactions, it is not a secret, nor does it act as a hidden defense mechanism.
A banal function that gained a reputation for a secret shield
According to the polygraph, this belief has spread through currents and publications on social networks, often in alarmist tone, attributing to the “cancel” capacities that do not have. Although it can stop an operation, it does not activate any alarm, nor communicates with external entities.
The “Cancel” key simply serves to stop the ongoing action at a multi -gathering terminal. It can be used to nullify a money survey, a transfer or any other service before its final confirmation. In many cases, the terminal automatically returns the card, preventing the operation from continuing.
It is therefore a useful function for the user who detects something anommal in the process or simply mistaken in operation. However, it is neither an emergency mechanism nor has advanced safety features, as many messages believe.
Simple care remains the most effective
True prevention means continue to be basic care before and during the use of the terminal. Inspecting the ATM before entering the card, plugging the keyboard when introducing the code, avoiding isolated locations and regularly checking the account balance are practices that make a difference.
With the advancement of fraud techniques, devices such as Skimmers and Shimmers, which allow you to clone cards and access sensitive information. Also small hidden cameras next to the keyboard are used to register the PIN code. The Judicial Police have warned of these increasingly sophisticated methods that continue to emerge despite advances in the safety of the terminals.
The button is not useless, but not magical
It refers that pressing the “cancel” key at the end of any operation, even if it has been completed, is a good practice. This action ensures the terminal session closing, preventing someone else from accessing still active data.
The key may indeed be the last defense in case of doubt, but does not replace surveillance. There is no miraculous button after all. Only simple tools, which become effective when combined with the attention and common sense of those who are facing the screen.
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