Scan the Car Park Before Exiting With a Large Cash Sum

The most dangerous moment when carrying a large sum of cash to a bank is not at the teller or the ATM — it is between your parked vehicle and the branch entrance. In June 2026, a man was robbed of $94,000 outside First Citizens Bank on Maraval Road, New Town, at 11:51 a.m. He had parked his Honda Vezel and was walking toward the entrance carrying a knapsack with approximately $40,000 in TT currency and US$7,800 when a gold Nissan Tiida pulled alongside him; two men exited, announced a robbery, took the knapsack along with his passport and multiple bank cards, and fled. The robbers were already positioned and waiting — the car park itself was the ambush point. Unlike the ATM or the teller window, the car park has no security guard, no enclosed space with limited exits, and no protocol for calling for help. You arrive alone, exit a vehicle in a space that may have been monitored for some time, and cross an open area where anyone parked nearby can act instantly.

Steps to follow:

• Before exiting your vehicle in a bank car park with a significant cash sum, sit and scan the surrounding area for vehicles occupied by individuals showing no clear purpose — a parked car with two occupants who are not moving toward the branch entrance warrants attention.
• If anything about the car park feels wrong — occupied vehicles that arrived as you did, individuals watching without engaging with the bank — do not exit; drive to a different branch, return at a different time, or call the bank to arrange a safer handover.
• Use an inconspicuous bag to carry cash to the bank; a branded money carrier, a clear bag, or a bag you are visibly gripping tightly signals to any observer that you are carrying something worth taking.
• Vary the time, day, and branch you use for large cash movements; predictable patterns allow a watching party to confirm your routine and position in advance.
• For sums above a threshold your business considers significant, consider a formal cash-in-transit service or request that the bank arrange a security escort between the car park and the branch entrance — most large branches can accommodate this with advance notice.
• After any robbery at or near a bank location, report the incident to the police and to the bank immediately; banks review CCTV footage and can identify if a particular car park is being monitored by criminals operating in the area.