Credit Card Security

[samran]

The debate about CC security in Thailand comes up often here on TV. No doubt people do find that their details have been cloned and their details have been used. This indeed happened to me once - in the UK with my Natwest Visa a so called 'chip and pin'. To their credit Natwest immediately called me when they noticed unusual transactions and halted - then refunded the unauthorised transactions.

So, today it came as a re-assurance when the Thai AMEX platinum card rang me to confirm a reasonably large transaction on my card about an hour after it occurred. Fortunately, it was me who made the transaction, but it goes without saying that it is good to know that with some cards at least, the CC card companies are doing their best to protect you against fradulent abuse.

[andy1308]

Samran - that's happen to me with my Thai AMEX too, and also with another of my Thai credit cards - although that was for a very small on-line transaction. Like you say, it is reassuring to know that security is being taken very seriously.

[steveromagnino]

So, today it came as a re-assurance when the Thai AMEX platinum card rang me to confirm a reasonably large transaction on my card about an hour after it occurred. Fortunately, it was me who made the transaction,......

Yeah, I meant to ask, how is that 1m baht membership at the Resort working out for you Samran???

Personally, I am not sure i have too many problems with the banks here; my own credit card has built in protection for unauthorised use (KCC GE) and they seem on top of things for large purchases. Which in my case is anything over 200b :-)

Amex are on another level though in terms of service; far better here and most places than VISA, at least for the plat level.

[nonthaburial]

Slightly off topic but I make a habit whilst standing in line at such places as Carrefoure, to watch the cashier taking credit cards. I have yet to see the cashier check the card signature against the debit slip.

[samran]

So, today it came as a re-assurance when the Thai AMEX platinum card rang me to confirm a reasonably large transaction on my card about an hour after it occurred. Fortunately, it was me who made the transaction,......

Yeah, I meant to ask, how is that 1m baht membership at the Resort working out for you Samran???

Personally, I am not sure i have too many problems with the banks here; my own credit card has built in protection for unauthorised use (KCC GE) and they seem on top of things for large purchases. Which in my case is anything over 200b :-)

Amex are on another level though in terms of service; far better here and most places than VISA, at least for the plat level.

The RSBC membership application went through nicely, Steve. Bargain at 1million. Now I can go and play Mah-jong every evening with all the other grandpa’s and grandma’s and nab me a hi-so daughter as my mia noi.

Actually, it was for a computer which I bought yesterday. 36K worth of purchase all up. As for platinum, they were pretty easy to qualify for here in Thailand. No way i'd be able to get one of their cards in the UK or OZ.

[Farma]

This just goes to show how ingenious people can be when trying to skim cards. It makes one wonder it's been tried in Thailand.

A SOPHISTICATED bid to skim the cash card details of potentially thousands of people from a teller machine has been foiled in Adelaide, police say.

In early June an unknown man phoned a gaming venue at suburban Cheltenham posing as an ATM technician seeking to access the equipment and make repairs.

He went to the venue on June 2 and worked on the Cash Card Australia ATM for about five hours.

A police spokesman said the man installed computer and communication-based devices with the potential to capture all cash card details on transactions through the machine and transmit them to another location.

"This was a very sophisticated attempt to obtain the personal banking details of a very large number of people and had the potential to result in significant financial loss and see the identities of large numbers of people compromised," the spokesman said.

The incident was reported to police the morning after the man allegedly doctored the machine when staff at the gaming venue realised Cash Card Australia had not sent out a technician.

Police today arrested a 24-year-old man from suburban Rosewater. He was expected to be charged later today.

From http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0...5003402,00.html

[Gary A]

With ATM machines on every corner, I see absolutely no reason to use a credit card here in Thailand. In all the years I have lived here, I used a credit card one time and worried for the next several months if it would come back to bite me. Fortunately it didn't. I use the credit card for online purchases and during my rare visits back home to rent a car. If not for the Internet and car rentals I would NOT even have a credit card.

[samran]

With ATM machines on every corner, I see absolutely no reason to use a credit card here in Thailand. In all the years I have lived here, I used a credit card one time and worried for the next several months if it would come back to bite me. Fortunately it didn't. I use the credit card for online purchases and during my rare visits back home to rent a car. If not for the Internet and car rentals I would NOT even have a credit card.

thoroughly agree. Except in my line of work, not having one makes life difficult. Only largeish personal expenses go on the card, to smooth out cash flow...but things are paid off every month in full.

For most of our expenses go on the UOB visa electron card - and I get Thai FF points through my usage of that too.

[JimGant]

With ATM machines on every corner, I see absolutely no reason to use a credit card here in Thailand. In all the years I have lived here, I used a credit card one time and worried for the next several months if it would come back to bite me

Gary, why would you worry? You'd only be liable for a token amount ($50 in US) for fraudelent use, and most times this is waived. And today, with most credit card companies on-line, monitoring your account for suspicious activity is a snap (with the credit card company most likely picking up any fraud before you do).

I'd be much more hesitant to have to frequently use my ATM card or carry around a lot of cash. The pitalls of carrying a lot of cash are self-evident. And the frequent use of an ATM card, most of which now double as debit cards, means frequent exposure of the card's particulars. I'd much rather argue a bogus credit charge than face fighting to have my empty bank account reloaded. A recent post here on TV showed how ATM fraud is *not* easily rectified, at least in this one case involving Bangkok Bank.

And using a corner ATM machine? No thanks. I'll use the one stuck into the bank's wall, whose security is superior to that at the mall, not to mention I'd have a door to bang on should my ATM card get eaten by the machine. But such usage will be for petty cash, not regular purchases, where convenience and additional warranties are afforded by credit card usage.

Interesting that the post right before Gary's was about......ATM scams:

A SOPHISTICATED bid to skim the cash card details of potentially thousands of people from a teller machine has been foiled in Adelaide, police say.

[Gary A]

I just don't want the hassle of calls, canceling cards, getting new cards and PINs. Rarely do I use any ATM except those at a Siam Commercial bank. I get 10,000 baht at a time so that's the most money I ever carry. Works for me. I have two Siam Commercial accounts and two ATM cards.

[JimGant]

Works for me.

And, of course, that's the important thing.

But, what do you do when you make a relatively large purchase? I know in my case, a really large purchase, like a car, involved a cashier's check. But, purchases in the 25-35k area, like a treadmill, only a credit card made sense (debit cards I dislike for the instant bank tap, and I don't like carrying around a lot of cash).

[Gary A]

Works for me.

And, of course, that's the important thing.

But, what do you do when you make a relatively large purchase? I know in my case, a really large purchase, like a car, involved a cashier's check. But, purchases in the 25-35k area, like a treadmill, only a credit card made sense (debit cards I dislike for the instant bank tap, and I don't like carrying around a lot of cash).

There are normally ATM machines nearby those businesses and I can get 20,000 baht from each ATM card. A bank check made out to the dealer is pretty easy too if it is more than 40,000 baht. Those deals DON'T normally take place after dark so I feel quite safe carrying 40,000 baht back to the store.

[THAILIBAN]

I just did what another member recommended in a similar Topic about CC-safety: I put a black sticker on the backside of my CC, covering the 3-digit code.

since then, I have used the card at 3 places: in a supermarket in Pattaya, in a shop at TukCom Pattaya (so those folks would be expert in stealing my data), and at a TRUE-shop, paying my internet bill (in Bangkok, I am typing this from there right now).

No one complained about the covered 3-digit-code, so it seems that this is the best and safest option.

I still prefer paying by card rather than carrying a lot of cash with me..... hope I will be fine that way with no fraud-attacks in the future....

Edited June 23, 2007 by THAILIBAN

[thaihome]

Slightly off topic but I make a habit whilst standing in line at such places as Carrefoure, to watch the cashier taking credit cards. I have yet to see the cashier check the card signature against the debit slip.

So the cashier is expected to a handwriting expert? That was one of the most irritating things in China was the cashiers’ insistence on comparing the signature. Ask me for ID, but don't stand there and puzzle over words you cannot read anyway...

TH

[Eifuku]

The debate about CC security in Thailand comes up often here on TV. No doubt people do find that their details have been cloned and their details have been used. This indeed happened to me once - in the UK with my Natwest Visa a so called 'chip and pin'. To their credit Natwest immediately called me when they noticed unusual transactions and halted - then refunded the unauthorised transactions.

So, today it came as a re-assurance when the Thai AMEX platinum card rang me to confirm a reasonably large transaction on my card about an hour after it occurred. Fortunately, it was me who made the transaction, but it goes without saying that it is good to know that with some cards at least, the CC card companies are doing their best to protect you against fradulent abuse.

We already know you have an Amex plat card, a Bentley, an oil rig, 3 wives & 1 boyfriend.

Next plateau please ...

[samran]

The debate about CC security in Thailand comes up often here on TV. No doubt people do find that their details have been cloned and their details have been used. This indeed happened to me once - in the UK with my Natwest Visa a so called 'chip and pin'. To their credit Natwest immediately called me when they noticed unusual transactions and halted - then refunded the unauthorised transactions.

So, today it came as a re-assurance when the Thai AMEX platinum card rang me to confirm a reasonably large transaction on my card about an hour after it occurred. Fortunately, it was me who made the transaction, but it goes without saying that it is good to know that with some cards at least, the CC card companies are doing their best to protect you against fradulent abuse.

We already know you have an Amex plat card, a Bentley, an oil rig, 3 wives & 1 boyfriend.

Next plateau please ...

don't forget my ferrari either...and house down the coast. Actually, you must be confusing me with Heng on the assets side, and Steveromangino on the number of partners. In any event, I don't mind being mistaken for either.

[wileycoyote]

With ATM machines on every corner, I see absolutely no reason to use a credit card here in Thailand. In all the years I have lived here, I used a credit card one time and worried for the next several months if it would come back to bite me. Fortunately it didn't. I use the credit card for online purchases and during my rare visits back home to rent a car. If not for the Internet and car rentals I would NOT even have a credit card.

Some of the larger hotels,still require an imprint on check-in

Wiley Coyote

[Old Man River]

Slightly off topic but I make a habit whilst standing in line at such places as Carrefoure, to watch the cashier taking credit cards. I have yet to see the cashier check the card signature against the debit slip.

So the cashier is expected to a handwriting expert? That was one of the most irritating things in China was the cashiers’ insistence on comparing the signature. Ask me for ID, but don't stand there and puzzle over words you cannot read anyway...

TH

Before chip cards, cashiers in the US would flip the card and slip upside down. It took about two seconds to check a signature this way. However, Thailand's system is even faster. They check nothing.

[sonicdragon]

I use credit cards for 2 reasons. Firstly I don't like to carry a lot of cash. Secondly, I get a lot of privileges and benefits - I travel a lot, mainly in economy and I get free use of business and premium lounges at many airports. I use the cards so much that I accumulate more airmiles that I use. I haven't paid for a flight for over 4 years, for both myself, my wife and my kids. If I didn't have those privileges/benefits then I wouldn't use them, despite the fact that as a cardholder you are are very well protected against fraud. I'd probably just use a debit card.