Thieves Ditch ATM in the Middle of the Street

There are plenty of ways to rob an ATM, though most require a degree in engineering or computer programming. So if you're not technologically inclined, there is only one real way to empty an ATM of its bounty: brute force.

For the record, smashing, cutting, or breaking open an ATM is no easy task. No one is going to walk into a bank vestibule with an acetylene torch and walk out a couple minutes later a few thousand dollars richer. No, getting to an ATM's paper-filled innards is an arduous undertaking that takes several man hours, thanks to its heavy metal casing.

Even if you're prepared to do all that, you've got to solve the issue of how to get the damn thing to your secret criminal lair. ATMs weigh several hundred pounds, and are usually bolted to something or encased in concrete. The obvious solution? Construction equipment. According to the Ledger-Enquirer, around 3:00 a.m. Monday, thieves in Phenix City, Alabama opted for a backhoe to yank a Wachovia ATM free of its concrete base and place it in a flatbed trailer. Leaving the backhoe behind, they drove through the city streets until their plan came to a premature end when the ATM fell off the trailer and spilled into the street. The money, of course, stayed safely inside.

The dispenser was too heavy to load back onto the trailer, so they left both the ATM and the truck in the middle of the road, scampering away into the night.

Police Chief Ray Smith said he would release videos and photos captured by the ATM's security camera if they could be recovered, and hopes to nab the suspects. We're pretty sure they've left town by now, though, shamed into hiding over their failed heist. [From: Ledger-Enquirer]

Tags: atm, crime, dumb criminal, DumbCriminal, fail, theft