Don't Be Tricked! 11 Top International ATM Withdrawal MISTAKES 💸 🏧

Want to save money and travel smart? Check out these other travel videos:

#atmworldwide #traveltips

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Greetings! I'm Nora Dunn, aka The Professional Hobo. I've been a digital nomad since 2006. I help people design their lifestyles and arrange their affairs so they can travel long term while working remotely. (I also have a ton of crazy travel tales to share from almost two decades of lifestyle travel).

And let's connect on my other social channels!

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[NoraDunn]

Want to save money and travel smart? Check out these other travel videos:

[volkswagen]

Rule number one is to inform your bank before you leave and which countries you will be visiting, as well as taking a picture of your credit card front and back with your cell phone for reference in case your card is eaten by the ATM.

[guitarslim]

My tip is to have two accounts. I have my regular account, which has most of my money, and I have a "travel" account, which never contains more than a couple hundred dollars. I replenish the travel account as needed, by going online and transferring funds. That way, even if the worst happens and I lose everything from the travel account, I don't lose that much.

[kathylutter]

#10 just happened to me in Greece !! I had watched this video before traveling but I did not heed the advice as I should have. I used an ATM in Athens with a major bank name but not at the bank . The ATM kept my card and gave me no money . Fortunately for me, it was 11AM on a Friday and I could walk to that bank’s physical location for help. The bank was due to close for the weekend at 2 pm and I was to leave Athens on Sunday . What a mess that could have been as this was just the start of a 2 week trip !
I called my bank which reported that my bank card was fine and should work which it had done before this incident and after . I believe that the ATM machine was faulty .
Nora’s tip on this is very important information!

[gitakiss]

A little something to tack on to online banking. Get the mobile app for your bank. If anything happens like your cards get lost you can lock it right away through the app. Can report it stolen and in some cases mark transactions as fraud. You can even move the balance from your checking account to an account not accessible by debit card :)

[edwardmanfredi]

we recently purchased tickets for Europe in Sept and I started listening to travel tips on you tube. Your videos are "spot on", well produced and very informative. Thanks for your hard work putting these videos together and presenting them. I'm certain your advice will save me time, grief and most probably money on my upcoming trip. !

[watchersmith]

Thank You for sharing your experience and sharing tips with us!

[leapintothewild]

Excellent video, Nora!! I knew them all except the cash advance one since I've luckily never had to do it, but had always thought of it as an emergency backup. Now I know how to do it properly if it comes to that! And with my memory, it's always great to reiterate this stuff in hopes that it sticks. haha 🙂 The only tip I'd add is to keep an eye on your surroundings, even at an inside-the-bank ATM: notice who's watching YOU! In the past few years, youtubers in Mexico have talked about a rash of robberies where someone is casually hanging out yet watches for ATM activity and calls a partner outside, who then follows you looking for the perfect time to mug you. So notice people loitering around with not business in the bank, or hanging around the ATM without using it and, if possible, hop into a taxi or uber the moment you leave the ATM rather than walk away on foot. Honestly, it's something we need to do everywhere! (and thanks for no music on this one, so much easier to pay attention to your amazing info)
EDIT: also remembered another one where one person says you've dropped something so you look away from the machine while in the midst of the transaction, while the partner grabs your card or cash and runs. The tip was to always go with a second person who stands next to you and never looks away from the ATM no matter what, or stands next to you facing the other people in line so no one can sneak up on you. Doesn't do much for us solo folks, other than being aware and trusting our spidey senses before using the machine.

[mswhatmeworry]

After withdrawing your money, get your card back and THEN ENSURE THAT THE SESSION IS FULLY CLOSED. This is important because sometimes it looks like it has closed, but instead, a few seconds later, it might ask "do you want to make another transaction?" and if you have already walked away, the next guy will say "yes" and proceed to revise your finances for you. I almost missed that recently, as at my home bank atms, withdrawing cash terminates the session engagement, but such is NOT necessarily the case elsewhere.

Also, when entering your PIN, cover the whole keypad with your other hand to defeat any. camera positioned to capture your pin.

[donnas]

Thanks for the tips, Nora! For years, I didn't realize that you could decline the conversion rate. I thought it would just cancel the transaction. But a fellow traveler finally mentioned it to me, and it was definitely an aha moment!

[sandyussia]

Great tips! Some I hadn't thought of or run into in my years of travel, so thank you!

[dirkderolf]

Thanks, Nora. You continue to educate me. Much appreciated!

[cltinturkey]

Bravissima Nora! Thank you for this super helpful video. Heading to Portugal next week, so this is a great refresher. This is my first lengthy international trip since the pandemic, so I feel like a novice again. Hoping my many years of experience will come back to me. Hoping also to kick my travel back into high gear. Happy Trails!

[debracampbell]

Great information! I was already online with most of these tips but it hadn't occurred to me to physically check for skimmers, I will from now on! I was in France last year when I received an email from my MasterCard company (who obviously figured out I was travelling despite not having to inform them anymore 😉) advising me to let them do the conversions on purchases to get a better rate. I double checked the offered conversion at point of purchase compared to what I was charged by MC and it was in fact better every time. I've just recently discovered you and love your videos, thank you! 🇨🇦

[DrezdanyWildlife]

I have never done a foreign ATM mistake. I’ve always been super careful when I travel. I take cash with me and stick to that, and sometimes pay in stores with credit card. I never had any issues in 40 years. Not even a stolen wallet or purse. I’m super aware.

[mireyam]

Woau!!! Awesome 👌 video. Thank you soooo much for the information.😊

[LEXPIX]

Great tips and love the last one the most. Keep up the good work.

[Mr.DJones]

Thank you for your time and posting. Always great editing. I took lots of notes. :)

[nickscomputerfix]

Awesome video. Great information provided with clear, upbeat, up to date info and no rambling on and on with side stories. I found it very useful. I ended up watching it three or four times and took notes. It's going to help me in my up coming travels. Thanks for doing the video. I LIKED and SUBSCRIBED.

[comboga]

You are so right. Travelers really need to know this about international ATM's.