Attacks on ATMs Are Declining Significantly—Measures Are Working
Attacks on ATMs in Switzerland reached a record low in 2025—a success attributable to close cooperation between authorities, banks, and international partners.
In Switzerland, the number of ATM attacks has risen sharply since 2019. These attacks are typically carried out by small groups of two to four people. The perpetrators are well-organized, reside abroad, and are embedded in extensive, multi-criminal networks. To effectively combat the phenomenon of ATM attacks, ATM operators, in collaboration with the authorities, have implemented various measures focused on prevention, cooperation, and law enforcement. This is having an effect: In 2025, there were a record-low 24 ATM attacks—half as many as the previous year and the lowest number since 2019. The success rate of the perpetrators was around 30%.
International cooperation
Since the perpetrators are part of internationally active networks, cooperation between the federal government and the cantons, as well as with affected countries such as Germany, France, Austria, and the Netherlands, is essential. Only through such cooperation was it possible, between 2023 and the end of April 2026, to arrest around three dozen individuals in Switzerland and abroad who, according to current intelligence, are linked to ATM bombings in Switzerland. In the most recent investigative success, the Netherlands arrested nine suspected ATM bombers.
Security Measures for ATMs
In addition to the success of the investigations, cooperation with banks and ATM operators has played a key role in reducing the number of ATM explosions. Since 2023, the Federal Office of Police (fedpol) has held annual roundtable discussions at the expert level. Since then, this expert group has recommended various measures that have increased security around ATMs. Possible protective measures include, among others: equipping ATMs with ink-discharge systems, installing protective shutters and metal plates, closing self-service areas at night, replacing older models with new ATMs, and reducing the amount of cash kept in ATMs.
Given the positive developments and the continuation of the successful cooperation among the various stakeholders, the Federal Council does not consider it necessary for the legislature to regulate these protective measures.
Source: fedpol.admin.ch
