Automated Teller Machines

Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith on Tuesday called for the installation of a PIN "duress code" system at automated teller machines throughout the city, saying such a system might have saved the life of a teenager who was killed after a July 24 robbery attempt. "The tragic murder of Lily Burk has highlighted a significant public safety issue -- ATM security," Smith said in introducing his proposal. "Currently, ATM security measures are relatively limited." Smith said at least one software manufacturer has already developed a promising system, a covert code that ATM customers can use to alert authorities to trouble.

In a move that allows it to seek the death penalty, the district attorney's office filed a murder with special circumstances charge Friday against an 18-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a construction worker at a Covina automated teller machine. Charles Lee Simpson appeared in West Covina's Citrus Municipal Court on Friday, about a mile from the Wells Fargo Bank where a security camera captured the July 17 murder of Corey Stanfield as he withdrew money from a drive-up ATM.

Three men robbed an automated teller machine worker Thursday morning as he was reloading a machine in front of a post office, authorities said. A gun-toting man accosted the ATM serviceman in the 5300 block of East La Palma Avenue about 9 a.m., Police Lt. Steve Brace said. The robber fled with an undisclosed amount of money in a Toyota van driven by two other men, investigators said. Authorities are searching for the three men, said to be in their mid-20s.

ATM operators nationwide can now charge a fee to use machines outside a customer's usual ank system. (Nevada and 14 other states had already lifted restrictions.) Users can now be assessed two fees, one by their own bank and the other by the bank operating the ATM. The extra fee could be $1 to $3. Banks said they want the option of levying the high charges to cover the cost of operating ATMs in expensive-to-serve areas such as in hotels, casinos and rest stops.

Not content to get you coming, Wells Fargo & Co. has joined the growing list of banks that get you going too. The San Francisco-based bank is now charging non-Wells customers $1.50 to use its automated teller machines--a fee that is in addition to the fee the customer's bank deducts. Wells is following BankAmerica Corp., which last month began charging non-customers. With the two industry titans paving the way, several other banks are likely to follow suit, analysts predict.

Back in the '60s, life was as easy as 1-2-3. The only number I had to remember was my telephone number. Today, our heads must store multiple and ever-changing strings of digits to access everything from computers to cash. Forget them and your entire world seizes. At last count I had 22 personal identification numbers (PINs), passwords, log-ons and identification codes to manage.

How do you select and protect your personal identification number? From the pros: * Avoid using consecutive numbers or repeating the same number. * Use something meaningful to you but not obvious to anyone else. Avoid birthdays, anniversaries and Social Security numbers. * When crafting codes, try to use at least six characters; this makes it tougher for hackers to figure out. * Do not tell anyone what your codes are.

Moments after he had listened to a church speaker marvel about miracles and the wonders of life, Corey Stanfield was shot to death and robbed Wednesday at a Covina ATM. Driving alone, the 23-year-old construction worker stopped at a Wells Fargo automated teller machine on San Bernardino Road at 10:30 p.m. As Stanfield withdrew cash from the drive-up ATM, a man walked up, shot him and stole his money, Sheriff's Deputy Carrie Stuart said.

A 50-year-old man was slain early Friday while making a transaction at an automated teller machine in South-Central Los Angeles, police said. Charles Edward Foster was the second person to die at an ATM in Los Angeles County in nine days. As two friends waited in a car about 1:20 a.m., Foster went to one of the ATMs at the Home Savings of America branch at 5717 S. Vermont Ave. and was shot to death by a robber who confronted him, officials said. No arrests have been made.