Question & Answer

Question: We had a discussion a short while ago with bank security officers about tapes in CCTV cameras in financial institutions. I'd just like to add my comments.

We find, many times, when a financial institution gives us a case of theft by ATM, and we go to try to get the film from the ATM that shows the transaction, that either the frames are impossible to connect to the transaction, or else the tape has been re-used, and the pictures are no longer available.Would it be too much to ask for bankers to stock in a few extra tapes, so that they don't have to re-use them so quickly? Investigators would be glad for even six months of records, but we'd much prefer a year. It often happens that the same actor defrauds several institutions, and we could combine prosecution and build a bigger case if we had more evidence.

I'd appreciate it if you could pass this on to your subscribers. But please don't use my name. You can say, though, that I'm a frustrated bank fraud investigator from West Palm Beach, FL.

Answer: Consider it done. It's interesting to note your comments in light of the detective comments from another state (far removed from yours) about the same thing. See the editorial on page 6.

Copyright © 1993 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 3, No. 12, 5/93