IceShark

I worked in the vault at two banks, one a branch the other the main bank when my class schedule got changed and I had labs in the late afternoon. That was 20 years ago. Even back then it was pretty much impossible to hit the vault as an outsider, especially at the main bank. And I'm sure things have improved. You would have to mount some major operation like in the movies with a small army. There are plenty of softer targets to hit for a big take - like when the stuff you are trying to steal are in transit.

When I was working the branch vault I used to day dream about how to go about robbing it. I could have done it as an insider but then you have the Feds after you and they know who you are. Plus, currency is damn bulky. Even if you carried away new bricks of $100 bills they are sort of large. 4000 bills to the brick is a couple feet long and that is only $400,000. And you don't find many new bricks of 100s in a bank.

Ag951

And good luck spending sequential hundreds without getting busted.

led

FWIW, it's spelled piñata...
And this is the guy to blame... or actually thank? http://www.abagnale.com

marksportcts

Here in Canada, the government prints $1000 bills. I seen them at the banks before. But not very common.

Danno

In the U.S. $1k and $10k bills are only used to transfer currency between banks. Customers don't have access to those anymore. I tried to get change for a $500 bill I had stashed away for about 10-years and there was like 20-pages of paperwork that they had to fill out.

We need to make robber-proof banks like they have in Europe. In Italy, I went into this bank that had an air-lock type entrance. You first walk in the front door and are faced with a locked second door. The 1st door locks behind you and the guard and cameras get to take a good look at you. Then he unlocks the second door and you get to go in. Getting out requires the same inspection process.

Then the counter also has a vertical door that slides up all the way to the ceiling in the event of a robbery.. pfffttt! Star Wars like and the entire bank-staff is shielded from the customer area.

Anyone have any statistics comparing bank-robbery numbers between Europe and the US?

Graufuchs

Things need to go back to the wild west were you can shoot the bad guys and not get in trouble...
But seriously glad you werent hurt...Dye packs are great and work GREAT!!!-chris

Danno

"Things need to go back to the wild west were you can shoot the bad guys and not get in trouble... "

When I was in the Philippines, most of the banks had two armed guards out front with machine-guns! They looked tough when I drove up, but one of them rushed out to open the car door and escort me to the front door (which he held open of course) . When I asked the bank manager when was the last time they got robbed, he said the last ATTEMPT was eight years ago....

sweanders

Danno, where in Europe have you seen banks like that. I've never heard of them..

Btw, you can get 1000 euro bills. A friend of mine who works as a bank clerk was on the witness stand a couple of dyas ago since he had received a very well made false bill. One guy had gone to several banks in this part of Sweden during a couple of days and they eventually caught him.

ELLSSUU

The "lobby" of my bank is the actual customer bank portion. Where I work is a multi-storied complex with different offices for the bank. Believe me everyone in the bank is scared of robbers b/c the threat of violence. The big money goes to White Collar crimes and internal theft. Especially the latter b/c banks are scared of prosecuting the internal thieves b/c of the media attention it will receive.

Mongo

I remember going to a bank in LA when the guys come in to deliver money from the armored cars they go in with a shotgun and one guard with his hand gun out. The people around me never tripped out but i thought that it was a good idea to do that. I wish they did that down in my area...

ELLSSUU

Happens here. In fact about a year ago the guy with the shot gun took out 2 armed robbers that were in the bank.

Danno

"Danno, where in Europe have you seen banks like that. I've never heard of them.. "

Southern Italy? It was in Venice I think. Also saw similar multi-door bank entrances in Greece as well.

Ag951

Man do I love my internet banking! My chances of getting hurt as an innocent bystander are pretty low.
I wonder if bank robbery is lower in concealed carry states (like AZ, TX, FL, NH). A bank robber can't be sure if one of the customers has a concealed Sig Sauer and an itchy trigger finger.

MM951

Ah sigs...have a 228 myself

Crackhead944S

At the bank that I used(I left to be a dot bomb geek) to trade Federal Funds at in $25 million up to $200 million dollar transactions, I found out that the system allowed "freeform" wires, where I could set up my own instructions. The thought did enter my mind of a "six month" trade, where my bank wouldn't expect back $25 million for six months.