Doing The Math: Bank Robbery Doesn’t Pay [Study]

So you wanna be a bank robber, it turns out that unlike the scenes we constantly witness in Hollywood movies robbing banks simply doesn’t pay very well and the chances of landing in jail are absurdly high for repeat offenders.

In a new study conducted by a team of economists it was discovered that robbing a bank simply does not make financial sense. According to researchers a study of US banks found that the average theft results in just $4,330 being taken, while UK robbers walk off with a more respectable £12,706 (nearly $20,000 USD) per heist.

However the study also found that after just four bank robberies the chances of being caught are astronomically high, which means a bank robber in the United States would walk away with only $16,000 and years in jail while a UK robber would grab approximately $80,000 but spend the same time in jail.

The study which is published in the journalSignificance says the chances of being nabbed after a four robbery almost become a certainty.

Researchers did offer some advice, if you are going to turn to a life of crime in the banking industry you are better off robbing banks with a large group of helpers, apparently you will grab more money from a bank if you have a large group. The study found that for every one person added to a bank robbery the amount of stolen cash increased by $6,000.

So there you have it teamwork really does pay, who knows maybe you will even get to spend some of that stolen money before you are arrested during your fourth robbery attempt.