ATM Mystery: Vanishing Act Leaves User Bewildered as $200 Disappears Despite Receipt Assurance

Jim Heinkel of St. Louis, Missouri, was frustrated when $200 disappeared after an ATM withdrawal.

‘Money was gone’ warns ATM user who saw $200 vanish thanks to little-known machine design, receipts said he had the cash (Photo: Google)

Mysterious ATM Disappearance

In August, he used Joe’s Direct Express card to help him pay rent. Heinkel was surprised to see the $200 disappear from the machine’s slot as he counted it after withdrawing it.

The withdrawal was confirmed by Heinkel’s receipts, confusing the missing cash. Heinkel claimed the $200 had disappeared, even though Joe’s account received it many days later. In search of explanations, Commerce Bank client Heinkel tried to withdraw $20 from the same machine again, but it disappeared within 30 seconds.

Commerce Bank answered that the incident’s timeframe was unclear owing to the usage of a non-Commerce Bank ATM. A spokesman said they received Heinkel’s request and will repay him soon. According to ATM Industry Association executive director David Tente, banknotes may be sucked back into the machine for security concerns since some people withdraw cash and depart without taking it.

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Industry Experts Shed Light on Heinkel’s Experience

Tente acknowledged the incident and noted the 30 seconds for people to receive their cash. Some ATMs may remove money earlier to prevent clients from leaving without their money. Euronet specialists encouraged clients not to worry and to record the location, day, and time of the attempted withdrawal before contacting their bank.

As the story progressed, The U.S. Sun contacted Direct Express for further information on the ATM transactions. The incident exposes ATM security risks and encourages customers to report them to their banks.

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