Real or spoof? PIN NUMBER REVERSAL

hambrook
hambrook Posts: 294 Forumite
First Anniversary Combo Breaker
in Budgeting & bank accounts
OFFICAL INSERT BY MARTIN!

I'm afraid the idea that "typing in a pin number in reverse alerts the police" is an urban myth. It was first suggested in the USA and while the technology is available it hasn't been used. In the UK it simply doesn't exist.

Martin

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Is this true or a spoof doing the rounds?
> > > PIN NUMBER REVERSAL (GOOD TO KNOW)
> > >
> > >
> > > If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM
> > > machine, you can notify the police by entering your Pin # in reverse.
> > >
> > >
> > > For example if your pin number is 1234 then you would put in 4321. The
> > > ATM recognizes
> > >
> > > that your pin number is backwards from the ATM card you placed in the
> > > machine.
> > >
> > >
> > > The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown
> > > to
> > > the robber,
> > >
> > > the police will be immediately dispatched to help you.
> > >
> > >
> > > This information was recently broadcasted on TV and it states that it
> > > is
> > > seldom used because people don't know it exists.

Looks like it never became law in US..... http://www.snopes.com/business/bank/pinalert.asp
«1

Comments

  • Paul_Herring
    Paul_Herring Posts: 7,481 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Post First Anniversary
    hambrook wrote:
    http://www.snopes.com/business/bank/pinalert.asp
    Snopes is usually the source I go to to check on Urban legends - seems it's a spoof.

    They mentioned palindromic numbers in the article, but I wonder how they'd counteract the halfing of the number space such a scheme would perform? Instead of one number out of 10,000 being able to withdraw money, you'd now have 2, or one in 5,000.
    Conjugating the verb 'to be":
    -o I am humble -o You are attention seeking -o She is Nadine Dorries
  • CopperPlate_2
    CopperPlate_2 Posts: 1,508 Forumite
    And what about the self-chosen PIN's...2112, etc?
  • peter999
    peter999 Posts: 7,097 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    hambrook wrote:
    > > > the police will be immediately dispatched to help you.
    Yeah right, 2 hours later or maybe the next day.
  • Essenchill
    Essenchill Posts: 1,032 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Only one way to know for sure then... who's going to volunteer to test it out (who has 2hrs to spend next to a cash machine?)
  • Hereward
    Hereward Posts: 1,198 Forumite
    IIRC, I have accidently entered my PIN backwards on a few occasions, but I haven't hung about near the cash point for two hours, so cannot confirm that the police don't show up...
  • adouglasmhor
    adouglasmhor Posts: 15,554 Forumite
    Photogenic
    CopperPlate wrote:
    And what about the self-chosen PIN's...2112, etc?
    I wouldn't be in a Rush to use that one.
    The truth may be out there, but the lies are inside your head. Terry Pratchett


    http.thisisnotalink.cöm
  • Cardinal-Red
    Cardinal-Red Posts: 664 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Suspecting it's a myth, but why wait for the police... if it spits out your money, then it's true?

    Or have I missed something?
    The above facts belong to everybody; the opinions belong to me; the distinction is yours to draw...
  • peter999
    peter999 Posts: 7,097 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Hereward wrote:
    IIRC, I have accidently entered my PIN backwards on a few occasions
    So did the money pop out, that's what we want to know ??
    .
  • Hereward
    Hereward Posts: 1,198 Forumite
    peter999 wrote:
    So did the money pop out, that's what we want to know ??
    .

    No, the Cash Point just tells you that you've entered the wrong PIN.
  • Snow_Dog
    Snow_Dog Posts: 690 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    :rotfl:
    adouglasmhor wrote:
    I wouldn't be in a Rush to use that one.


    Groan, reckoned I was in the Twilight zone when I saw that one.:rotfl:
This discussion has been closed.
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