Swedish tourist seeks Pattaya police help over Bt100,000 gone from bank account

[Rawairat]

Something seems missing here as it’s not that simple for someone to access and transfer money. I have had Thai bank accounts for over 20 years and touch wood never had a problem. Except an ATM machine which short changed me B1000 years ago. The bank audited the machine on the Monday and all was good so my mistake!

[Krataiboy]

All this, of course, will get so much better when the totally cashless society arrives in the next few years and every baht or penny you possess will be sitting in a bank account just waiting to be hijacked unscrupulous staff or hackers.

 

And good luck with getting it back from a Thai bank, where the standard practice is to deny any responsibility and direct you to the nearest cop shop. 

 

You can't beat "progress" . . . 

 

 

[bmanly]

I have internet banking with Bangkok Bank. A while back I had to change my phone number and I needed the passbook, my passport and showed my ATM card. So if I needed all that evidence to change my phone number how come this didn't happen for the new number to be added in this case?

[Amplish]

22 minutes ago, bmanly said:

I have internet banking with Bangkok Bank. A while back I had to change my phone number and I needed the passbook, my passport and showed my ATM card. So if I needed all that evidence to change my phone number how come this didn't happen for the new number to be added in this case?

You and others don't seem to understand that not the Swede, but someone else setup internet banking. The Swede, according to the story didn't have internet banking, or was not aware of it. The real question is how someone else can setup internet banking as others have pointed out this is a rather involved process.

[bmanly]

2 minutes ago, Amplish said:

The real question is how someone else can setup internet banking as others have pointed out this is a rather involved process.

Yes, I went through all that too. Multiple copies of passport pages, several signatures, new user name and a password and several days later it was done. It was not an easy process. 

[thurien]

20 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Assuming the money was actually stolen,

 

49.95% chance the required information was sourced from a bank employee.

49.95% chance the required information was sourced from Thai partner.

0.1% chance this was another person.

 

Thai partner -- they don't do; I'd rather suggest Laos, Khmer, Burma floozies for that

[shy coconut]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Well, if I had an account in a fairly 'dubious' country known for scams and bribery I think I'd be more security concious thinking

How would you check if you were in Sweden?

[TGIR]

3 hours ago, martin501 said:

I've had a Bangkok Bank account for years, if you're a foreigner you can't open on-line account without going to your Bank in person, well that's what I was told by Bangkok Bank when I tried to open one !!!

 

I also bank at Bangkok Bank.  My Thai wife and I had to change our account to her name only to get online banking.  After we were all set up we added my name back on the account.  This was several years ago and things could change.  As always the best thing to do would be to go to the bank and deal with them directly.  

 

I also believe the gentlemen who had his funds taken gave  someone his account information.......including is internet bank account number, his internet banking password, his personal question answers (they will query you if you try to log in from a different computer than usual),  PLUS the thief had to be set up as a transferee or someone else he used would have to have been set up.....you can't just type in account numbers and have the money transferred.......so if, indeed he was actually robbed the bank and the corresponding bank would have the information at hand.   He was only showing his passbook by the way.....if someone just took money out using his passbook who would have given them the passbook?

 

There is definitely more to this story.

[smudger1951]

I do wonder how how careful this man has been with his passport and personal details and also mobile phone which many use to store pin numbers etc. Where did he stay in Pattaya ? Hotel safes are notoriously un-safe. I hesitate to point a finger at bank employees but things have happened.

[nahkit]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

You're doing it wrong... but you've given up already so never mind that it works for hundreds of others.

I've stood there at the atm with a member of their staff and let them do it twice and I still can't sign in, never mind, you know best.

[hobobo]

16 hours ago, Thian said:

Probably had the authority to see it in the system i guess....or found a way to sniff the banks traffic.

 

This is exactly why i won't get a Thai bank account....

I've had a savings account with a major Thai bank for the last 8 years. Last year I wanted to register for internet banking and was advised by a bank staff member to do it online. No problem for the first few questions, but then I was prompted to type in my PIN number, with a note that I could/should change my PIN after my Internet Banking registration was complete. Alarm bells rang and I immediately cancelled the process. In my 40 years banking experience in many countries I was told NEVER EVER to reveal my PIN number, and especially not online. I told of this experience to the Branch Manager of the bank in question who confirmed that in order to register for internet banking one has to reveal the PIN number on the form. My UK bank thinks I did the right thing...

[asean]

10 minutes ago, hobobo said:

I've had a savings account with a major Thai bank for the last 8 years. Last year I wanted to register for internet banking and was advised by a bank staff member to do it online. No problem for the first few questions, but then I was prompted to type in my PIN number, with a note that I could/should change my PIN after my Internet Banking registration was complete. Alarm bells rang and I immediately cancelled the process. In my 40 years banking experience in many countries I was told NEVER EVER to reveal my PIN number, and especially not online. I told of this experience to the Branch Manager of the bank in question who confirmed that in order to register for internet banking one has to reveal the PIN number on the form. My UK bank thinks I did the right thing...

Having opened dozens of internet banking accounts the Thai bank is correct. They send you the opening PIN to your registered email just like your credit card sends you in the post. Once you are in the system and you reply to the confirmation email you must then change the PIN to continue. Your UK bank is out of date. So many believe that as soon as you say the word Thai Bank you are at risk. For over 10 years I have opened dozens of accounts corporate and personal with IBanking facilities and I find the Thai retail banking system to be far more advanced ad secure than many western countries.

 

Edited March 3, 2018 by asean

[Johnboxer]

3 hours ago, harrycallahan said:

They published the phone number. 

 

THEY PUBLISHED THE PHONE NUMBER LOL! 

Yes crazy!!!!!?????????

[smudger1951]

I do wonder how how careful this man has been with his passport and personal details and also mobile phone which many use to store pin numbers etc. Where did he stay in Pattaya ? Hotel safes are notoriously un-safe. I hesitate to point a finger at bank employees but things have happened.

[Thian]

7 minutes ago, asean said:

Having opened dozens of internet banking accounts the Thai bank is correct. They send you the opening PIN to your registered email just like your credit card sends you in the post. Once you are in the system and you reply to the confirmation email you must then change the PIN to continue. Your UK bank is out of date. So many believe that as soon as you say the word Thai Bank you are at risk. For over 10 years I have opened dozens of accounts corporate and personal with IBanking facilities and I find the Thai retail banking system to be far more advanced ad secure than many western countries.

 

I have never heard of money disappearing from a european bankaccount. And if that happens i expect the bank will pay all damage without questions. Also the police will be involved of course.

 

My european bank even warns me to not use atm's or creditcard and they have blacklisted Thailand for all their members with a worldcard. Who goes to Thailand first has to open their card for transactions from Thailand.

Also my european paypal won't let me ship to thailand, they are on the list together with nigeria and countries like that.

 

I had many ebay parcels sent to thailand gone missing, guess that's why.

 

Also when i go into a thai bank and see how they check my euro billiets i can tell that they have no clue what they're doing. And they refuse billiets with minor damage which came from the bank in europe.

 

I will never ever give my PIN over internet, to nobody and sure not when i'm in thailand.

[BernieOnTour]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Huh ? Money taken out in March 2017 (a year ago) and he only noticed when he came here ? Call my cynical but, I tend to check my money accounts more than once a year. 

IMHO more than understandable, if he didn't:

1) 100000 baht are just 2500€

2) Neither depositing nor withdrawing money and no standing orders, so no real movement on the account... for what? - the ridiculously low interest?

[wazzupnow]

wow what a miljonaire

looses 100.000 bht and is broke

what is he doing here?

wants a refund of non existing money?

[Gillyflower]

Before going to SEA I must inform my bank and credit card company of my travel dates and in which countries I will be using my cards.  Otherwise blocked at the first withdrawal attempt.

[jenny2017]

14 minutes ago, wazzupnow said:

wow what a miljonaire

looses 100.000 bht and is broke

what is he doing here?

wants a refund of non existing money?

Not a big deal these days.....

 

   https://www.gofundme.com/sign-in

[thaibeachlovers]

18 hours ago, Thian said:

Probably had the authority to see it in the system i guess....or found a way to sniff the banks traffic.

 

This is exactly why i won't get a Thai bank account....

The problem appears to be the ATM card facility, which is why I refuse to set up an ATM facility and use the bank counter staff to do my banking. I have no pin # and therefore they should not be able to do anything without my signature.

 

Unless using the monthly amount to get visa extensions to stay in LOS, one has to have a Thai bank account.

Edited March 3, 2018 by thaibeachlovers

[bristolgeoff]

i,am sure the bank can trace everything,why hasn,t this happened yet or done allready

[DrTuner]

Ids and passports are easy to come by, just take a look at any immigration offficers desk. One time they gave me a copy of some rules du jour with a British fellas passport, place of work and salary ( he was making almost 300k a month, congratulations) filled out in the copy on the back side.

 

Of course if you've done nothing you shouldn't be concerned about privacy, eh?

[mogandave]

I think it fair to say that if bank employees had access to PIN numbers a lot more money would go missing. 

 

 

[Lacessit]

It sounds like the thief got hold of the man's personal details, then used them to create an online account. There has to be an electronic trail somewhere.

I only have savings passbook accounts here, which require my passport and my presence to withdraw money. I refuse offers of credit/debit cards, and deal in cash only. If I'm using an ATM ( emergency only ) it's an Australian debit card, and I will only use an ATM here which is in front of the bank supporting the ATM. Already had one instance where the ATM refused to disgorge my card, and I had to get a bank staff member to retrieve it.

[khunPer]

23 hours ago, ferguston said:

Sounds a bit iffy.

With my Kasikorn account to withdraw or transfer money over the Internet I need a special one-off code which they send to my registered mobile number.

The code can only be used once and they also send a withdrawal alert to my phone.

Maybe other banks vary but I thought this was standard procedure.

 

Same procedure with SCB.

[Lee4Life]

6 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

dont the bank have a fraud department? wouldn't this be the first place to make enquiries?

 

 

The article said he went there and they told him to go to the police

Edited March 3, 2018 by Lee4Life
spelling

[StayinThailand2much]

14 hours ago, nausea said:

A bit weird, him not noticing anything for a year, unless it was monopoly money for him. Anyway, I guess it will all come out in the wash; on a very cold trail.

According to the post he went back to Sweden for a year. If his Swedish phone number wasn't linked to his account, or if he didn't have internet access to his account, how would he know?

[WeLubThailand]

22 hours ago, mercman24 said:

how would a bank employee know his PIN number

through thai cant be botheredness and their inability to enforced rules

[Acemaker]

5 hours ago, Kerryd said:

"finding the money had been removed through Internet banking"

The only things you can really do with (Thai) internet banking is transfer money to other accounts (yours or someone else's) or pay bills/top up phone (etc, etc). You can't do wire transfers unless you meet certain conditions (work permit and such) and can't make withdrawals of course.

At least that's how it is at Bangkok Bank (which is who I do most of my banking with). 

 

So you'd have to assume that the money was transferred to another account in which case they should, easily, be able to figure out where it went to (and thus who the most likely suspect would be). There would be records of when "someone" logged into the Swede's account, when a new "third party account" was set up, when the OTOP was sent (and then entered on the banking site) and when the transfers were made.

When I set up my internet banking, I had to go into the branch to make the arrangements (and supply my phone number) and then use their ATM to enter my user name and password. After that I was able to go home and log in on my PC. 

However, I wasn't allowed to set up internet banking until after I had a "1 year visa".
I had to go to the branch with my passport so they could copy the page with the visa information (and I had to sign the copy of course). The main reason I wanted the iBanking was so that I could do wire transfers easier. However they told me that I needed to have a work permit and tax receipts (to show where the money had come from) before I would be allowed to send wire transfers using iBank. 

Which I thought was rather odd as all the money in my account had come from wire transfers from abroad (my paycheques), and they never ask for a work permit or "tax receipts" when I do a wire transfer while in the branch office ! 

However, I know from personal experience that if someone has a "friend" in the bank, it's pretty easy to get around the rules. Like how my (late) dad's g/f was able to go empty his bank account after he died, despite me having taken his phone, passport, ATM card, bank book and all other forms of ID.

I thought it was secure as the bank was supposed to phone him every time his g/f went to make a withdrawal on his behalf, and she had to have the bank book and a signed copy of his passport face page before they would approve a withdrawal.
Apparently, she was able to walk into her "favourite" branch of the bank and acquire a new bank book and had extra copies of his passport page (pre-signed or maybe just good colour copies). Who knows, maybe she didn't even have that. She could have easily (probably) changed the phone number on the account as well so that any calls from the bank would go to her (or her "friend").

She was then able to take out 20,000 a day, every day, until the account was empty. She even went back and scooped a small interest payment that was deposited into the account a couple months later !

I came back a little over 3 months later to find that I couldn't update the bank book (as a new one had been issued, which I found out when I went into a branch to inquire). When I found the account had been emptied (they showed me the transactions that had gone on) I asked them how it was possible as I had all of dad's ID and bank stuff. They just shrugged their shoulders. No answer. Didn't know and apparently couldn't care less.

 

Amazing Thailand !

[Acemaker]

2 hours ago, wazzupnow said:

wow what a miljonaire

looses 100.000 bht and is broke

what is he doing here?

wants a refund of non existing money?

Where does it say that he is Broke ? he simply wants his stolen money to be returned.