Norwegian Falls For ATM Scam In Phuket

[Robroy]

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

These Norwegians are always jumping to wild conclusions.

[lifeincnx]

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

Kasikorn Bank allows up to 200k limit per day at the ATM in 20K increments if you request it. I used it during my house building process but than racheted back down to reality afterwards.

[rich54321]

in the land of smiles a Thai with 200,000 worth of a big smile

[galoubet]

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...

My UK bank only permits 300 UK pounds withdrawal per day (anywhere, UK included). Nowadays that's less than 15,000 baht. If I had tried several times to get more the card would be suspended or even cancelled. Last year the card was suspended as I had made withdrawals on several consecutive days (I was buying a house in Kanchanaburi with ATM cash!) and the bank thought this was suspicious. I had to phone the UK to get the card reinstated.

It begs the question about the effectiveness of this Norwegian bank. Of maybe there's something not quite right in this story. People have been known to fraudulently report a card missing when they've used it themselves. Not that I'd ever accuse anyone of such behaviour.

Edited August 19, 2010 by galoubet

[captspectre]

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?

Yes! I do read the paper, however anyone traveling overseas should be smart enough not to get caught in a scam like this!

[lounger]

A sucker is born every minute.

This is an interesting original post. It shows the readers up for what ( not who) they are. I can imagine the stuffy old gits eeking out their old age pensions living on one beer chang per week or going without to save money. keeping money in a shoe and not tipping anywhere.

I lost a card once. It was a problem but more of a learning curve. Now I keep back up cards etc. I didn't want sympathy or patronising advice. I am still daft and have gone from bad to worse, kidnapped, mugged, left cards in ATMs, left the cash in an ATM once!

Saying the guy can afford it because he is Norwegian is idiotic. Maybe the 200,000 was the last bit left after divorce,losing job and paying for a flight to Thailand..maybe he was so pissed he didnt know what he was doing. maybe he is rich and doesnt care and is enjoying the 'told you so' postings.....

For me, Ive got the Tshirt and I'm not a sucker just a bit muddled!

[mitrapaap]

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!

He waited for more than one week before reporting the case to the authorities. While he was informing his bank after returning to his hotel.

Authority stands here for Police and Bank stands for Bank. Not so stupid after all. But one needs to be not too stupid to read.

[MaicCrompton]

Yes in Thailand you can take cash from ATM maximum is only 25000 Baht.

[katabeachbum]

Yes in Thailand you can take cash from ATM maximum is only 25000 Baht.

Not correct, you can withdraw 200.000 baht pr card pr day, and make transfers in addition

Getting help in an ATM from someone wearing sunglasses and caps, no thanks, anywhere in the world. Push CANCELL please:rolleyes:

[haybilly]

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.

Big Spender-eh!

[koto]

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

It's called a learning curve or a 200,000 baht diploma, we are never to old to learn, I'm sure many of us paid much more in one way or another to learn the what and what not's, to do, or as you say, many of us leave our brains at home, one should never through stones if one lives in a glass house, condo or barn, of course being only as good as our last performance, he does kind-a-have egg on his face.

[JustinCredible]

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.

All you need to do is call the "Call Center" shown on your card, answer a few questions and you can get the limit increased. All of my Thai accounts have 200,000 daily limit.

[SunsetT]

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.

Grumpyoldman highlights a problem with Thai ATMs. They dont eject your card until the very end of the transaction, so it is very easy, when preoccupied with putting your money into your wallet, to walk away and forget your card. Especially if you r not feeling 100% for any reason. In the UK, this cannot happen as ATMs, give u your card back, and u must take it, before u get your cash.

We should lobby the banks to modify future Thai ATMs. Anyone know email address for Thai wanke_rs, sorry bankers, Association?

Well done for the honesty GOM -sets a good example.

[farangtopper1]

Everybody is right about how much you can take out per time. My dutch atm card 500 euro per day. My credit card how much your credit is but atm only 25000 per time but with passport in bank how much your credit is per day.

The only thing i see on the photo that the man who stole the card doesn't look thai. He looks like a middle east man.

I am sorry for the man but I think he gets tehe money back if he called his bank at once.

The story is not well writen i have to agree

[Jimi007]

Grumpyoldman highlights a problem with Thai ATMs. They dont eject your card until the very end of the transaction, so it is very easy, when preoccupied with putting your money into your wallet, to walk away and forget your card. Especially if you r not feeling 100% for any reason. In the UK, this cannot happen as ATMs, give u your card back, and u must take it, before u get your cash.

We should lobby the banks to modify future Thai ATMs. Anyone know email address for Thai wanke_rs, sorry bankers, Association?

Well done for the honesty GOM -sets a good example.

ATM's in the USA are the same as here, when you are finished with your transactions, they ask you if you want a printout. You push; yes or no, then the card comes out. They are probably even made by Diebold in both countries. Never seen an ATM that was any different, in NZ, Australia, US or Thailand. I guess it's just Europe that gives your card back before you are finished using the ATM...

[damian5000]

i've never been able to take out more than 20k baht a day. though never tried 25. tried 30, but no go.

[Garry9999]

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

I feel sorry for him too, but really, what country in the world would you give your ATM card to a complete stranger?

[ppmacready]

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!

Do they need OUR help for that then?

[Boater]

ATM's in the USA are the same as here, when you are finished with your transactions, they ask you if you want a printout. You push; yes or no, then the card comes out. They are probably even made by Diebold in both countries. Never seen an ATM that was any different, in NZ, Australia, US or Thailand. I guess it's just Europe that gives your card back before you are finished using the ATM...

i have done this before, normally when i am first back from England and on the piss, as usally after you get your money from the ATM you walk away as you already have your card

[buddyholly1]

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!

He returned to his hotel and called the bank. A week later he reported the theft to the authorities. I see no contradiction there.

[thurien]

... Another tourist that will tell his friend's how wonderful the Land of Smiles is...

dont't blame any country on bloody ignorance about anything financial

[Colabamumbai]

Unfortunately Thais continue to rip off foreigners whether it be Thai Women or Men. Thailands' reputation in the world as a place to visit is getting worse day by day. Ranked 58th as far as nice countries to visit.

[Jimi007]

... Another tourist that will tell his friend's how wonderful the Land of Smiles is...

dont't blame any country on bloody ignorance about anything financial

I agree, ignorance is no excuse. But I was thinking about the tourism in Thailand and what he will say. Will he say; I was stupid? Or will he say; I was ripped off by a scammer in Thailand?

[personchester]

Odd happenings here, Alright the chap was rather careless whilst at the ATM machine with this thieving Bloke, but If he did report this to the bank as soon as he got back to his hotel then in a normal way the bank would immediately stop his ATM connection, why was this not done ?

Moreover, how could the thievish bloke extract the 200K so rapidly, perhaps Norwegian banks have no daily limit restriction on their ATM's, but this hard to believe in terms of banking security.

If the card was retained into the ATM (as stated) then why did he not go to the nearest 'appropriate' bank in order to have matters dealt with and the a/c secured, there is something rather strange here, the very fact that he waited six days before informing the police is also rather odd.

Notwithstanding the above one feels sorry for the chap coming her on holiday with his son to experience such a problem, but on the other hand should he be a Norwegian oil magnate (there are many) then the matter will have been of little concern for him, which might be reflective of the way he dealt with it.

[sylver]

He waited for more than one week before reporting the case to the authorities. While he was informing his bank after returning to his hotel.

Authority stands here for Police and Bank stands for Bank. Not so stupid after all. But one needs to be not too stupid to read.

If that's really what this is, someone is REALLY stupid and it's not the reader. He calls the bank to report the problem, finds out he got ripped off by 200K, then waits one week before reporting the matter to the police?

That doesn't make any *** sense.

For the withdrawal upper limit, 200K is the upper limit for most Thai banks on Thai cards held by foreigners (needs to be requested). And there are a lot of people who wouldn't put up with a £300 a day max.

[sylver]

One thing that bugs me is that the thieve was not arrested. To withdraw the money so fast, he had to do so at a local ATM.

The transaction should be easy to track and it should be easy to see on the ATM's camera who did the transaction. Given a picture of the guy as well as his exact location a few hours earlier, it shouldn't be too hard for any competent cop to identify and arrest the culprit.

Oh, wait... I think I see the problem.

[JetsetBkk]

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!

The only logical explanation is that it took him a week to get back to his hotel.

Probably left his sense of direction with his brain at the airport.

[dobadoy]

Grumpyoldman highlights a problem with Thai ATMs. They dont eject your card until the very end of the transaction, so it is very easy, when preoccupied with putting your money into your wallet, to walk away and forget your card. Especially if you r not feeling 100% for any reason. In the UK, this cannot happen as ATMs, give u your card back, and u must take it, before u get your cash.

We should lobby the banks to modify future Thai ATMs. Anyone know email address for Thai wanke_rs, sorry bankers, Association?

Well done for the honesty GOM -sets a good example.

If you walk away and leave your card in the machine, it will eat it back up if no one takes it (I know - I did this one time when brain was in neutral). If someone does take it, they can't use the card in the machine because you have to put the pin in again (tho' of course they can try going shopping with it if they can get away with your signature and being a Thai called 'Malcolm' ).

[JetsetBkk]

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.

Mine is 50,000 per day, or 3 transactions per day.

I'd like to lower that limit.

[JetsetBkk]

in the land of smiles a Thai with 200,000 worth of a big smile

You think the guy looks Thai?