"Paseo Millonarios" Down 60%
The practice of shutting down the automated teller machines (ATM's)
at night has greatly reduced "paseos millonarios", criminals holding
up ATM customers and taking them for a ride to various bank machines
to withdraw the most from their plastic.
Customers using ATM's, especially late at night and in the small
hours of mornings had become target of criminals, terrorizing their
victims while cash is taken from their credit and debit cards.
The Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) reported 48 such
attacks at bank teller machines between March and December 2008. The
highest number of inciders reported where in San José with 31,
followed by Cartago with 7, Heredia with 5, Alajuela with 4 and
Puntarenas with 1.
The OIJ report indicates that only 10 "paseo millonarios" were
reported in October, 6 in November and only 4 in December, when the
banks responded by shutting down their ATM's between 10pm and 5am.
Janina Del Vecchio, ministra de Seguridad, said she was pleased with
the results, reducing the number of attacks on ATM customers greatly
compared to the year before.
"Slowly the numbers of attacks at ATM is being reduced to the point
where there will be none. There have been attacks at ATM's during
the day, but the 'paseo millonarios' has stopped", said Del Vecchio.
The minister stressed that the bank's policy on shutting down the
ATM's is the main reason behind solving the problem.
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