Norwegian Falls For ATM Scam In Phuket

[Methane]

From working in the banks there are loads of different techniques. One is to place a small camera to see your pin and a simple card catcher over where you enter your card. The card catcher and the person helping looking over your shoulder is also common. I have seen ones where they have put a complete new screen etc. on top of the actual machine. I usually used one had to cover when i enter my pin. it a good thing to do.

Often it's not that sophisticated! The "Lebanese Loop Method"

A piece of x-ray film is cut to about 2cm wide and just over double the length of a card.

This is placed in the card slot, which are often black, this makes the film hard to see, especially at night.

The card transport mechanism is uninterrupted and the card goes in as normal, but can't be read.

Barb like projections cut in the film now prevent card retrieval.

The scammer will be waiting near the ATM for a punter and will be acting the concerned instant friend.

Usual MO will be to ask you to try again, if the PIN isn't observed then, they offer to "help" and trusting as most (tragically) are

the PIN is offered up. The transaction fails, and as the film has been cut on the edges, like a fish hook barb,

the card won't eject. X-ray film is quite robust and flexible.

The punter now goes into the bank (if open) to retrieve the card, or home if the bank is closed. In the meantime the scammer, who

now has your PIN, simply pulls out the film, with your trapped card as one.

Always check the ATM for signs of tampering, pay particular attention to the card slot, keypad and any "additions"

that don't look right. I know it's not possible when travelling etc, but try to use A-familiar ATM's, B-if A isn't possible

use machines in well lit, preferably indoor locations where anyone tampering with it will stand out like a bulldogs nuts.

[tombkk]

From working in the banks there are loads of different techniques. One is to place a small camera to see your pin and a simple card catcher over where you enter your card. The card catcher and the person helping looking over your shoulder is also common. I have seen ones where they have put a complete new screen etc. on top of the actual machine. I usually used one had to cover when i enter my pin. it a good thing to do.

Often it's not that sophisticated! The "Lebanese Loop Method"

A piece of x-ray film is cut (...)

Always check the ATM for signs of tampering, pay particular attention to the card slot, keypad and any "additions"

that don't look right. I know it's not possible when travelling etc, but try to use A-familiar ATM's, B-if A isn't possible

use machines in well lit, preferably indoor locations where anyone tampering with it will stand out like a bulldogs nuts.

Thanks for the recipe how to scam.

As for the tips in the last paragraph, here is one more: Don't use your ATM card when you are drunk. Not nothing unusual things with the machine is one thing, not noticing somebody watching you keyuing in the pin is another. If you are drunk and you don't have enough cash to party on, just go home.

[Methane]

Thanks for the recipe how to scam.

As for the tips in the last paragraph, here is one more: Don't use your ATM card when you are drunk. Not nothing unusual things with the machine is one thing, not noticing somebody watching you keyuing in the pin is another. If you are drunk and you don't have enough cash to party on, just go home.

Thanks for the recipie how to scam--NO, i have simply repeated information that is public domain, on many sites, which many choose not to look for themselves

and then winge when they are scammed. Forewarned is forearmed. The more that know the methods, and how to check for tampering the better.

[bangseandaza]

A 52 year old Norwegian tourist goes to Thailand with his son and goes back to his Norwegian wife 200,000 Baht less.........Don't mind me son I will go back to the hotel...you just go an enjoy yourself with these lovely girls....I know I would need a really good story to tell the wife if I came back from Thailand 200,000 baht lighter and went back to the hotel at 9pm everyday on a full inclusive holiday

[sirir]

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

Hi there,

In thailand you can take up to 200,000 a day depend on what kind of ATM card you´ve got! But It is just 20 or 25000 at the time, then you will have to take out many times not just one time! We have try and it works! But that is an Atm card from thais bank and they will show you the limit you could take out in one day, in depend on the deal you make with the bank! Then for the bank aboard can be different rule, then you have to talk to your bank! You might get more that 10000 baht a day if you take care of that before you leave for holiday! Mine is probably 60000 b. a week and that is a normal to use in Norway and aboard! So it is depend on with bank you´ve got and what kind of a deal you have with your own bank

[LivinLOS]

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!

How about he went back to his hotel and called his Euro bank... Then waited a week to do a police report.

Makes perfect sense to me.

[LivinLOS]

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

My visa card will go to the card limit.. Not sure what that is on western Platinum cards but I know I have put 6k GBP on the card in one go so has to be higher than that.

[bangseandaza]

This is the early version of the 'Lebanese loop scam' the more sophisticated way is to coat all the key pad numbers with different color inks that never really dries that only show up under UV light, If you press 1 and it is coated with a blue color and it's the first number you press then the pad will be smudged and no other color will be visible on that number pad, then they can determine that 1 was your first number, if you then press 5 coated green then it will have smudge and a bit of blue from your first number and same for all your numbers experienced scamers can work out your pin number 90% of the time in less than a minute. So don't think that you haven't been scamed if you weren't approached by a nice young lady or the guy with a hat. Wipe over the keypad with your hand after using a ATM

[katabeachbum]

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

My visa card will go to the card limit.. Not sure what that is on western Platinum cards but I know I have put 6k GBP on the card in one go so has to be higher than that.

bank and customer agrees on limit, and as said my limit on foreign VISA ATM card is usd 20k/day (640-700k baht/day).

on thai ATM card limit is simply changed in ATM machine, by entering thai id card number or for farang passportnumber. up to 200k baht/day per card.

each ATM withdrawel is usually limited to 20-25k baht, so it takes a few minutes to get 200k baht from ATM making 10 withdrawels at 20k baht

[Dork]

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.

Many ATM cards from Thai banks have much higher limits than that. My ATM card from Kasikorn can withdraw or transfer up to 1 million Baht (actually 999,999) per day.

But as another poster suggested, you can increase/decrease the daily limit with a simple phone call to the banks call center.