Don't Make This Mistake When You Look at Your Bank Statement

I already know I’m going to get crapped on for this.

Some are going to shake their heads and call me a dummy, while I hope others can at least find the humor in it.

Look, I don’t love looking at my bank statements. Who does? I think it’s human nature to despise looking at the money you’ve spent and seeing the transactions from every time you’ve swiped your card.

I’m a mature gal, though, so I know it’s important to check up on your account and make sure everything looks right. Ultimately, it’s important to make sure that every transaction in your bank statement was you.

I’ve had cards stolen, I’ve had my account used for streaming services I don’t even own, so I’ve had to go through the annoying process of canceling a card and getting things back in order.

Luckily, I’ve been banking with the same folks for 10 years and trust the process.

Sketchy ATM Withdrawal

Payday was coming up, so I decided it was time to scroll through the month's transactions and make sure everything was looking good.

While I scroll through my bank app with one eye closed cringing, I did notice a transaction that was not familiar to me: a cash withdrawal from an ATM in Portland.

Hmm… That didn’t look right. It’s 2023, I never need cash and I genuinely could not tell you the last time I took cash out at an ATM. Immediately, I called my bank to find out what the heck was going on.

I spent an hour on the phone with the bank explaining the situation, letting them know I do not take cash out, and an investigation was kickstarted. I did my part and paused the account and shredded my debit card.

I texted my friend trying to figure out how this could happen. How could someone take money out of an ATM with your card that you’ve had possession of the entire time?

Mystery Solved

My friend texted me back, probably shaking her head, and informed me that certain businesses show up as ATM withdrawals on bank statements.

Now wait a minute…

The lightbulb went off. Oh, wow. Yeah… That transaction was me.

At that moment I felt equally relieved and dumb.

Apparently, this is called a ‘cashless ATM’ as a solution to accept debit cards when most banks and payment processors do not accept certain transactions.

I had no idea! I had spent the whole day at home not stepping foot near an ATM and completely forgot that I had ran to the store at 9:30 p.m. the night of the transaction.

What a dumb moment! But, a funny story to share.

So yeah… If you see an unfamiliar ATM withdrawal in your bank statement you may want to ask yourself what type of recreational activities you’ve been up to…

I guess I need to go pick up a new debit card now.