Norwegian Falls For ATM Scam In Phuket

[webfact]

Norwegian falls for ATM scam in Phuket

Images of the con artist caught by CCTV at the time of the alleged theft.

Norwegian tourist Kjell Olar Farseth, who waited for more than a week before reporting the theft to authorities.

PHUKET: -- Police are warning tourists to be vigilant while using ATM machines following the alleged theft of 200,000 baht from a Norwegian tourist in Kata last week.

Kjell Olar Farseth, 52, filed a complaint with Chalong Police yesterday morning stating that a man who offered to help him operate the Kasikorn Bank ATM machine near the Karon Municipality offices in Kata had stolen his card and withdrawn 200,000 baht in cash.

Mr Kjell told police the man, wearing sunglasses and a black cap, offered to help him conduct the transaction when he was having problems with the machine on the morning of August 9.

After several unsuccessful attempts the man told him his card had been pulled inside the machine for security reasons, then left.

Mr Farseth returned to his room at the Tropical Garden Resort and called the bank to report the card missing, but it was too late: bank staff told him 200,000 baht had been withdrawn from the account.

“The guy probably stole my ATM card,” Mr Farseth said sadly.

Farseth Kjell, who works in the transport industry in Norway, arrived in Phuket with his son on August 5 and was due to fly out today.

He appeared resigned to the loss.

“I'm not sure I will get the money back, but I will leave for my hometown as scheduled,” he said.

Chalong Police duty officer Boonlert Onklang said he wanted to warn tourists about the scam, which has happened “many times” before.

A CCTV camera installed at the ATM captured images of the alleged con artist, who is now sought by police.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-08-19

[Roachiebkk]

Maybe he should have left his ATM card back at home with his brain.

[Aasim]

poor guy .. i feel sorry for him ...

[prakhonchai nick]

Once again a contradictory report.

Did he wait a week before reporting the matter - or did he return to his hotel and call the bank.

Surely somebody should check what information goes out. makes the authorities and Thailand look so stupid!

[mopenyang]

Why not set a maximum limit on your card that can be deducted in one day so that someone doing this kind of thing can't run your card for 200,000 baht if they do get hold of it?

[PoolDoctor]

How could these people be so idiotic? Don't they read newspapers?

[Darkling]

I feel sorry for him too. He was on holiday with his son and was too trusting of the friendly local who offered to help.

For some of the hold hands in Thailand they would know better.This guy was just too trusting.

[asiawatcher]

What - another (ATM) Scam in Phuket - Nah... couldn't happen. Poor bugger. The second anyone steps in alongside any ATM to assist you in a transaction - oh well - you can guess the rest!

[KamnanT]

Once again a contradictory report.

Did he wait a week before reporting the matter - or did he return to his hotel and call the bank.

Surely somebody should check what information goes out. makes the authorities and Thailand look so stupid!

Not a well-written story, but it's clear he "waited a week before reporting the theft to authorities" (i.e. the police). He reported it to his bank as soon as he returned to his hotel.

[nicklyons67]

How could these people be so idiotic? Don't they read newspapers?

Be real!! He's on holiday, people automatically go into "holiday mode" when they travel for a vacation. Do YOU read local newspapers when you're on holiday?

[poldebol]

A card that allows you to take 200.000 THB? I think I can take max 50.000 a week. If I need more, reset the maximum for an hour os so.

[elektrified]

I feel sorry for him too. He was on holiday with his son and was too trusting of the friendly local who offered to help.

For some of the hold hands in Thailand they would know better.This guy was just too trusting.

I feel sorry for him too.

[SPIKECM]

Why not set a maximum limit on your card that can be deducted in one day so that someone doing this kind of thing can't run your card for 200,000 baht if they do get hold of it?

well, I can't get any more than 15,000 out in one day from my Uk bank cards. Even with my Thai bank cards I can't get 200,000 out in one day. This doesn't make too much sense.

[pattaya_girl]

Poor Guy, I feel sorry for him as well.

[Jimi007]

Why not set a maximum limit on your card that can be deducted in one day so that someone doing this kind of thing can't run your card for 200,000 baht if they do get hold of it?

I was thinking the same thing. The maximum I can get per 24 hour period is either 25,000 Baht or less, depending on the bank's ATM. I wonder if he did call the bank right away or waited a week or more... Another tourist that will tell his friend's how wonderful the Land of Smiles is...

[jbrewer]

How could these people be so idiotic? Don't they read newspapers?

Be real!! He's on holiday, people automatically go into "holiday mode" when they travel for a vacation.

Indeed we do

[grumpyoldman]

How could these people be so idiotic? Don't they read newspapers?

Be real!! He's on holiday, people automatically go into "holiday mode" when they travel for a vacation.

Indeed we do

Exactly right.

I walked into my local mom and pop mninmart last weekend and noticed a European holiday type at the ATM.

When I walked out he entered the minimart sort of mumbling preoccupied with something, as I walked by the ATM it was beeping, card still in there open for a transaction. Grumpyoldman honest to a fault, cancelled, grabbed the card, as the man came out handed it to him. He was thankful and said that was very honest of me, I just sort of raised my arms "ahhhhhh hel_l, no big deal".

Vacation mode for sure, he was just not thinking.

[Somnambulist]

Norway's got a huge pile of oil money and an enviable budget surplus. 200,000 baht is a lot of money for this retired expat but in a country that has the most expensive Big Mac in the world and Starbucks grande he'll get over it.

[jbhh]

I may have a lead for the BiB....

check the owners of the cards that were pulled in to the ATM during the time this guy was at the ATM.

It appears the guy made a card swap and let another card disappear in the ATM, so he could later use the Norwegian's card with the pin he obviously got when they tried (3 times?) it with the wrong card.

[TheBarbarian]

A sucker is born every minute.

[harleyclarkey]

Maybe he should have left his ATM card back at home with his brain.

Nice. When you finish polishing your halo, you can reflect back on your perfect flawless life???

The max. you can withdraw here in 1 day is 300 euro. Seems Thailand has no upper limit?

I feel sorry for the guy and can understand why he did something in this wonderful happy smiling land of friendly happy people who are always there to lend a helping hand. Yes...the guy was on holiday, maybe had a Chang or two and felt good towards the world and its people.

Dirty dirt bag ...lets not lose focus....who conned the poor guy.

[sibeymai]

I'm surprised that Norwegian fraud laws are such that the guy is held responsible, assuming the guy didn't pass on his PIN to the thief.

If however, he tried a number of unsuccessful transactions (as stated in the report) entering his PIN in front of the guy then that lets the bank off the hook. Customers have the responsibility to take reasonable measures to ensure their PIN is not visible to others in the vicinity.

Since thieves use cameras to record PINs as they are entered and skimmers to record and reproduce card data almost immediately everyone should shield the keypad from view every time they enter their PIN at an ATM or POS terminal.

[muimatt]

Norway's got a huge pile of oil money and an enviable budget surplus. 200,000 baht is a lot of money for this retired expat but in a country that has the most expensive Big Mac in the world and Starbucks grande he'll get over it.

There is no Starbucks in Norway, but you are correct about the Big Mac...

[Roachiebkk]

Maybe he should have left his ATM card back at home with his brain.

Nice. When you finish polishing your halo, you can reflect back on your perfect flawless life???

The max. you can withdraw here in 1 day is 300 euro. Seems Thailand has no upper limit?

I feel sorry for the guy and can understand why he did something in this wonderful happy smiling land of friendly happy people who are always there to lend a helping hand. Yes...the guy was on holiday, maybe had a Chang or two and felt good towards the world and its people.

Dirty dirt bag ...lets not lose focus....who conned the poor guy.

No halo on my shoulders but I have worked in travel for many years and this seems to be a common flaw with some people, a lot of people who seem to deposit their brain in a box before entering the country. how many times we told people not to take free or cheap tuk tuk rides, don't buy gems, you name it but alas they still come back after a day out to ask if I think it was a good deal by buying gems that they never saw sent back to their home where they will never see them along with their money which disappears just as quickly. I think there must be more to this case as with all of my foreign bank cards the most I could withdraw would be 200 quid per day.

[flukieireland]

it took a while for me to get used to the fact that the atm machines gave me the moeny before giving the card back. I left one card behind once and when i arrived first i walked away only to hear the beeping on several occasion.

My mate back home had a similar expierence, he laughs at how stupid he was now. he went for a meal with his g/f but forgot cash so he left the restaurant and rushed to the nearest atm, he entered his pin and got no cash twice, then a nice lady said she had the same problem and she had to enter her pin a couple of times so he tried again, (this is where he laughs at how stupid he was) he called the women up to look at him entering the pin and told her "look i am putting in the correct pin and no cash", he gave up and left to go back to the restaurant, they got about 500 euro i think.

I used to work in bank and when a card was skimmed they would take 500 just before midnight and 500 just after to beat the daily limit. getting 1000 euro. before i left they had got smarter. they would take out 500 and lodge a forged cheque for the same amount. the person wouldn't notice their balance dropping (only their available balance would drop, and most people don't understand what that is). they could do this for at least 5 days before the first cheque bounced getting 2500 euro instead of 1000.

If this scam is only coming to Phuket now, its done well to avoid it for at least the last 10 years.

[maydagirl]

I may have a lead for the BiB....

check the owners of the cards that were pulled in to the ATM during the time this guy was at the ATM.

It appears the guy made a card swap and let another card disappear in the ATM, so he could later use the Norwegian's card with the pin he obviously got when they tried (3 times?) it with the wrong card.

u know what, i agree! this is probably the only reason why the machine took the card.

[RAZZELL]

I doubt someone could take out 200,000 baht in a day...or even several days.

My ATM card has been stopped numerous time in LOS. If I try and withdraw a large amount I get a call from my bank...annoying at times but necessary "anti-fraud" measures.

Are they seriously telling me his bank allowed ATM withdrawals of over £4k in a foreign country in a day?

RAZZ

[Eddy1960]

A card that allows you to take 200.000 THB? I think I can take max 50.000 a week. If I need more, reset the maximum for an hour os so.

True

You can ask banc before you go holliday how much you can take in 1 week or day. I will never take more than 50.000bth a week.

[lifeincnx]

Maybe he should have left his ATM card back at home with his brain.

This pretty much sums it up. Dumb is as dumb does.

[Loz]

Hindsight is 20:20...