When Chester County resident Mark Edens deposited $980 at an ATM at Navy Federal Credit Union in Paoli, Pennsylvania, in February, he expected the money to appear in his account immediately.
Instead, he says the machine spit out an error receipt, rebooted and displayed strange codes, and the money never showed up.
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“I looked on my app and saw the money wasn’t reflecting in my account,” Edens told NBC10 Responds. (1) “That was a lot of money.”
Edens filed multiple disputes with Navy Federal, but says the credit union repeatedly denied his claims, saying it found no problems with the ATM.
After NBC10 Responds contacted the company on its behalf, Navy Federal said it reopened its review after identifying incomplete information during the initial investigation and contacted another financial institution about the missing funds.
Two weeks later, the $980 appeared in Edens’ account.
“I was able to catch up on things because the money was supposed to go toward bills,” she said.
Navy Federal did not explain how the error occurred.
Although ATM mistakes like this are rare, they can happen, and your best protection is speed, documentation, and perseverance. Here are five ways to protect yourself if an ATM ever “eats” your deposit.
Document everything
That mistake could become your best evidence.
Take a photo of the receipt immediately, along with any error messages that appear on the screen. Take a screenshot of your account balance to show that the deposit did not post.
It is also smart to write down the exact amount you deposited and the time the transaction took place. If the machine starts rebooting or displaying codes, document that as well.
Banks and credit unions rely heavily on machine logs and transaction timestamps during investigations. The more details you can provide up front, the harder it will be for your claim to get lost in the shuffle or be dismissed without further review.
Report the problem as soon as possible
If something seems wrong, act quickly. Call the number listed on the ATM or on the back of your debit card before leaving the machine, if possible. Explain exactly what happened and ask for confirmation that your report was recorded.
Under federal electronic funds transfer rules, consumers generally have 60 days from the date of the statement showing the error to report an ATM-related problem, and banks generally have 10 business days to investigate. (2)
The sooner you report it, the easier it will be for investigators to obtain transaction logs and surveillance recordings if necessary. Waiting even a few days can complicate the process, especially if the ATM serves multiple financial institutions.
Read more: Non-millionaires can now accumulate properties like those of the 1%: how to start with just $100
File a formal dispute
A phone call alone will not be enough. Make sure your issue is recorded as a formal dispute and request a claim or case number before ending the conversation.
Please request written confirmation via email or secure message so that there is a record of when your complaint was filed.
This is important because banking disputes are common. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFBP) received more than 6.6 million consumer complaints in 2025 alone, and banking-related issues (including deposit disputes, account access issues, and transaction errors) continue to be a recurring category of consumer concern. (3)
If your claim is denied, do not assume that is the end. Ask the bank to explain what they verified, including whether the ATM cash was counted after your transaction and if there was anything wrong.
Request a written explanation of the decision. Sometimes just pressing for clearer details is enough to take a second look at the case.
Climb off the bench, if necessary
If repeated calls get you nowhere, it may be time to seek outside help.
You can file complaints with the CFPB, your state banking regulator, or your credit union’s federal regulator. These agencies often require financial institutions to respond formally, which can take your case out of routine customer service limbo.
In many cases, simply opening an official complaint is enough to trigger a second internal review.
You can also contact local consumer investigative journalists, as Edens did. Public scrutiny can sometimes trigger quicker action and force a company to revisit an issue it initially dismissed.
Even if it doesn’t guarantee an immediate solution, it may increase pressure for a clearer explanation or a more thorough investigation.
Avoid cash deposits at ATMs, if possible
The easiest way to avoid this problem is to limit cash deposits at ATMs whenever possible.
Depositing directly at an ATM gives you immediate confirmation that the money was received and creates a cleaner record if there is ever a discrepancy. Staffed smart ATMs in branches are generally safer than stand-alone machines because help is often nearby.
If you must deposit cash at an ATM, count the money carefully before inserting it and check that the machine displays the correct amount. For larger deposits, some consumers even record themselves counting the cash beforehand to obtain additional documentation.
It may seem excessive right now, but if a machine fails, those extra precautions can make getting your money back much easier.
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Article sources
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NBC Philadelphia (1); Legal clarity (2); Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (3)
This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com with the title: Navy Federal ATM Swallowed This Man’s $980 Deposit: 5 Ways to Protect Yourself If It Happens to You
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
