Back in the early 1930s, of course, folks like John Dillinger, “Machine Gun” Kelly, Fred Barker and Albert Bates roamed the nation, shooting up towns and robbing banks. One Kelly gang robbed the Bank of Willmar in Minnesota of an estimated $70,000 – a lot of dollars in 1930. Today’s bank robbers, at least the ones that walk in the front door with a note or gun, haul in a couple hundred on average. It’s a tough business: just last month, a Santa Barbara, Calif., bank robber had his loot blow up in his pants thanks to a dye pack before being arrested minutes after the bungled holdup.
A combination of still and video cameras, security officers on site and emerging technology such as global positioning system or GPS tags in “robber-ready” money has helped capture more than one bank robber. The fact that robbing a bank is a federal crime doesn’t hurt.
Others, however, who walk into a bank or financial institution, do cause real and growing harm. Whether it’s the bank president or a teller, a foreign businessman or a software programmer, these folks are increasingly stealing millions while, often, avoiding prison or even fines.