The simple gesture you should make when withdrawing money from an ATM: "It's the difference between being robbed or not."

While it's true that today, to protect our money, we need to be more aware of online threats—whether they're fraudulent text messages or emails, fraudulent links, or phishing calls—we can't forget about physical dangers as well.

And while, generally speaking, withdrawing money isn't a dangerous activity, we must be aware that it's not without risks . Ultimately, criminals are looking to steal our money, and they have all kinds of techniques and tricks to do so.

As a first security measure, we must be aware that it will always be much safer to withdraw money from an ATM located in a bank branch than from a free one located on the street, since bank ATMs undergo more periodic checks to ensure they have not been tampered with in any way.

And even if it has never crossed your mind, criminals are capable of installing mini cameras in the ATM to record how you enter your security PIN , and then by obtaining your card details (they have hundreds of ways to do this) or directly cloning it, they can start emptying your account.

Therefore, experts point out that users should adopt some preventive and protective measures to keep their savings safe. And there's no need to complicate matters to be more secure when withdrawing money from an ATM; a simple and easy gesture can make us much safer.

From now on, you should start covering the keypad with your free hand when entering your card PIN to withdraw money. This way, if a mini-camera is illegally installed in the ATM, it won't be able to record your security code and prevent your savings from being stolen. "It's the difference between being robbed or not," banks point out.

• Before using an ATM , inspect and analyze the ATM for any tampering or suspicious devices.
• It is best to use ATMs located inside a bank branch .
• If a stranger spontaneously offers help, it is best to refuse.
• If you have any difficulties, consult a bank employee or someone you trust.
• Periodically check your account for suspicious transactions that you didn't make.