Statistically, one ATM explodes somewhere in the country every day. It happened 413 times just last year. If you add untriggered explosions, the use of tools like crowbars, hydraulic spreaders, angle grinders, and cutting torches, as well as brute-force methods to pry or rip open these machines, perpetrators tampered with ATMs 660 times, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office, marking a 14% increase from 2021, and the highest number since data collection began in 2005.

Not only has the frequency soared, but the attacks have also become more violent. The criminals are increasingly resorting to solid explosives instead of igniting acetylene-oxygen mixtures from gas cylinders. The significantly greater explosive power leads to more extensive damage and an increased risk to life and limb. Just recently, four ATMs were simultaneously blown up in a branch in Frankfurt-Fechenheim, said Ingo Wiedemeier, CEO of the Frankfurter Sparkasse, during a press conference on the topic.

The serial offenders, mostly from the Netherlands, typically belong to organized gangs and are as professional as they are ruthless, according to the police. They carry out their activities without regard for losses, aiming for speed. For instance, in just a few minutes, an ATM in Griesheim was completely destroyed, Wiedemeier recounted. From prying open the door to the first explosion, it took only 65 seconds. Shortly thereafter, the perpetrators had vanished. Typically, they flee the crime scenes at high speeds in highly motorized vehicles. These incidents are now also occurring in Frankfurt, no longer predominantly in rural areas.

Banks are trying to defend themselves against these heists, which bring the criminals an average of around 100,000 euros each. Measures include such things as ink staining systems, nightly closures, or security guards, along with video surveillance, reduced cash stocks, and smoke systems. The possibility of abandoning particularly vulnerable locations is also being considered and has already been implemented.

The risk of explosions may contribute to location closures. Some institutions may use it as a pretext to get rid of certain locations. However, it does not significantly jeopardize cash availability. In fact, according to the Cooperative Association BVR, the number of ATMs nationwide decreased by nearly 7,400 to 52,600 from 2012 to 2022, but it has increased by more than 2,000 compared to 2002.