Bank robbery myths exposed

Countless books and movies have detailed what happens when ordinary folks decide to knock over banks. Many more works of fiction have gone into great detail on the bank robber’s craft, giving daydreamers plenty of fuel for fantasy.

But FBI special agent Jeff Johannes says that much of what people believe about robbing a bank and getting away with it is pure mythology.

Some prominent bank robbery myths:

1 A bank robber can keep authorities at bay by moving across jurisdictional lines.

With technology changing everyday, this is no longer true. E-mails with suspect descriptions and pictures go out almost immediately to law enforcement across multiple jurisdictions.

2 Bank robberies increase in the winter because robbers can hide more easily behind the season’s clothing.

Bank robberies don’t necessarily spike at any time of year. There’s such a wide variety of reasons for robbing a bank that spikes for any reason, whether it is season, the economy or other causes are rare.

3 Spacing out robberies means you’re less likely to get caught.

Again, with technological improvements, bank robbers are just as likely to get caught if the robberies are strung together or spread out.