Taxi Driver Arrested for Stealing Passenger’s Phone and Transferring Almost a Million Baht

[snoop1130]

 

A taxi driver seized an opportunity on a forgotten phone from his passenger and transferred almost a million baht to his own bank account. He was later arrested in Samut Songkhram.

 

On October 5th, 2023, a Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) unit captured a suspect identified only as Mr. Saichon on an arrest warrant from the Bangkok South Criminal Court. Mr. Saichon was arrested on a roadside in Mueang, Samut Songkhram, and charged with offenses involving stolen electronic cards, burglary at night, and receiving stolen property.

 

The taxi driver, Mr. Saichon, picked up a forgotten phone from an unidentified passenger but did not return it to the owner. Instead, he transferred the victim’s money, more than 800,000 baht, to his own bank accounts, as the victim’s bank account apps were apparently unlocked. Mr. Saichon later withdrew cash from ATMs in the Bangkok area.

 

By Kittisak Phalaharn

 

Full story: The Pattaya News 2023-10-06

 

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[KannikaP]

I was unaware that a banking app can be used without a PIN or OTP being used. How did he do it?

[richard_smith237]

I thought all Thai Bank Accounts had a transfer limit of 50,000 baht without 'face ID' (that new law was put in place this year).

 

With SCB as a foreigner we can 'sign out of' this scheme... (which places the responsibility on the account owner if there is fraudulent activity >50,000 baht).

 

Its strange that this was possible... unless of course, multiple transactions.

[Mavideol]

ok, things are back to normal as the stories of  good/honest taxis drivers are back 555

 

 

 

Sarcasm intended

[richard_smith237]

Once piece of advice for everyone: 

 

Can your phone be put into Airplane mode from the Lock-screen ??? (most can unless set not to).

IF it can, a thief can put your phone in Airplane mode and you can no longer track it or control it to erase all settings.

 

There are options (on our phones) so that when the phone is locked, no settings can be altered. 

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

If anybody would find my Android phone, and the person does not know my PIN and does not have my fingerprint, then I would think nothing bad can happen? Is that assumption wrong?

I have bank apps, but they all require fingerprinting or a PIN or both. Some also have additional security settings.

[steven100]

lowlife ....  good they got the scum

[anterian]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I thought all Thai Bank Accounts had a transfer limit of 50,000 baht without 'face ID' (that new law was put in place this year).

 

With SCB as a foreigner we can 'sign out of' this scheme... (which places the responsibility on the account owner if there is fraudulent activity >50,000 baht).

 

Its strange that this was possible... unless of course, multiple transactions.

This new SCB app is supposed to be more secure than the online banking system they cancelled, so no OTP needed

. This is total bull<deleted> accounts are now less secure, what it does do. , ,  is to drive us more towards a cashless society.  this allows banks to close branched and ATM machines.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 minutes ago, anterian said:

This new SCB app is supposed to be more secure than the online banking system they cancelled, so no OTP needed

. This is total bull<deleted> accounts are now less secure, what it does do. , ,  is to drive us more towards a cashless society.  this allows banks to close branched and ATM machines.

Banking apps have to be installed and authorized on the users phone. It is not possible to just install a banking app on any phone, enter a username and password and transfer money.

And everybody who has such apps on his/her phone should have the phone password or fingerprint protected.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't know how well the phone protection works (if it is enabled). But I don't think it is so easy that every taxi-driver can hack it.

[BarraMarra]

8 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Banking apps have to be installed and authorized on the users phone. It is not possible to just install a banking app on any phone, enter a username and password and transfer money.

And everybody who has such apps on his/her phone should have the phone password or fingerprint protected.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't know how well the phone protection works (if it is enabled). But I don't think it is so easy that every taxi-driver can hack it.

Wait for someone to fall asleep put his fingerprint on his phone bingo or wait till he is drunk.

[OneMoreFarang]

4 minutes ago, BarraMarra said:

Wait for someone to fall asleep put his fingerprint on his phone bingo or wait till he is drunk.

How many people are able to use such situation?

For me, the only person who is near me when I sleep is my gf.

And I don't get so drunk to allow that someone uses my fingerprint on my phone.

[brianthainess]

That is why I don't have any bank apps on my phone or any bank details. If some one want to access your info. then they can one way or another.

[jippytum]

I have always felt uneasy after SCB left me no option other than use their app on my phone to use internet banking. 

[daejung]

After updating my Bangkok Bank application today, I noticed  that I am now permanently logged on !

I need to enter my PIN for any transaction  but if my phone is not locked, anyone can see my balance !

Edited October 6, 2023 by daejung

[Skipalongcassidy]

21 minutes ago, daejung said:

After updating my Bangkok Bank application today, I noticed  that I am now permanently logged on !

I need to enter my PIN for any transaction  but if my phone is not locked, anyone can see my balance !

Go to "Quick Balance" and turn it off... now your balance will not show 

[Mike Teavee]

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Once piece of advice for everyone: 

 

Can your phone be put into Airplane mode from the Lock-screen ??? (most can unless set not to).

IF it can, a thief can put your phone in Airplane mode and you can no longer track it or control it to erase all settings.

 

There are options (on our phones) so that when the phone is locked, no settings can be altered. 

 

 

For IPhone Users: https://ios.gadgethacks.com/how-to/prevent-thieves-from-turning-your-iphones-airplane-mode-so-you-have-better-chance-track-down-0384535/

 

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, Mavideol said:

ok, things are back to normal as the stories of  good/honest taxis drivers are back 555

 

 

 

Sarcasm intended

Tomorrows news, Taxi driver returns 2 million in cash, 3 diamond rinds a partridge .

[Henryford]

Why i never have banking apps on my phone.

[Homburg]

10 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Banking apps have to be installed and authorized on the users phone. It is not possible to just install a banking app on any phone, enter a username and password and transfer money.

And everybody who has such apps on his/her phone should have the phone password or fingerprint protected.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't know how well the phone protection works (if it is enabled). But I don't think it is so easy that every taxi-driver can hack it.

Could it be that there is a camera in the cab which recorded the customer entering his PIN to unlock his phone?  I always prefer to use fingerprint unlocking, but it always seems to me that whenever I am somewhere where I do not want to be watched whilst unlocking my phone is when Android annoyingly decides that the "PIN is required for additional security"!

[nobodysfriend]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

A taxi driver seized an opportunity on a forgotten phone from his passenger and transferred almost a million baht to his own bank account.

.... and thought nobody would trace him down ...?

Sometimes it is difficult to believe what you read ...

[Tarteso]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

A taxi driver seized an opportunity on a forgotten phone

 

[OneMoreFarang]

44 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

.... and thought nobody would trace him down ...?

Sometimes it is difficult to believe what you read ...

In general, criminals are not the smartest. There are of course some exceptions. 

[BenStark]

12 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

Wait for someone to fall asleep put his fingerprint on his phone bingo or wait till he is drunk.

I don't know. I need fingerprint to open phone, then fingerprint to get into my Kasikorn bank app.

 

Considering it can be bypassed the way you say, if I transfer 1 baht, I have to enter my pin to confirm the transfer.

[Caldera]

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

A taxi driver seized an opportunity on a forgotten phone from his passenger and transferred almost a million baht to his own bank account.

If only they had implemented facial recognition in banking apps to prevent this from happening. Oh, wait... ????

[anterian]

9 hours ago, jippytum said:

I have always felt uneasy after SCB left me no option other than use their app on my phone to use internet banking. 

I totally agree, I feel very insecure, plus I am now getting lots of spam, system upgrades, wrong numbers. 
When my UK Natwest account introduced a phone app they had the decency to continue the previous online banking service, so one had a choice. 

[daejung]

11 hours ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Go to "Quick Balance" and turn it off... now your balance will not show 

Thanks

[MangoKorat]

22 hours ago, brianthainess said:

That is why I don't have any bank apps on my phone or any bank details. If some one want to access your info. then they can one way or another.

Agreed but I've just had to..........which swore I'd never do because of security fears.  Dtac have cancelled the Dtac call service and that was the only reliable way I could receive OTP's when conducting transactions on my Kasikorn online banking.  I can make and receive calls and SMS over wifi when I'm outside Thailand but they usually come way after the 6 minute time out that Kasikorn allow - with DTAC call they were instant.  Neither can I use roaming as there is no mobile signal at my UK home.

 

Kasikorn will only send OTP's to a Thai number and suggested that I install the Kplus App which would allow me to carry out transactions over wifi. I had to be on a Thai mobile signal to register for the Kplus App but now its installed it runs over wifi.  I use a 6 digit PIN is that easy to hack?

[dingdongrb]

22 hours ago, brianthainess said:

That is why I don't have any bank apps on my phone or any bank details. If some one want to access your info. then they can one way or another.

Exactly! The only monetary app I have on my phone is TrueWallet and then the most in that account is less than 30k THB.

 

For me, cash is king..... 

[emanu71]

On 10/6/2023 at 5:53 PM, KannikaP said:

I was unaware that a banking app can be used without a PIN or OTP being used. How did he do it?

Obviously if the app is not blocked, the OTP will reach you on the same phone and that's it.

[AustinRacing]

Careless of the phone owner to not have the phone locked after a lapsed time. Also being able to withdraw money without entering a password is weird. He doesn’t deserve it of course but he’s silly.