Atm Scamster / Soi Bouakao Area

[homeless007]

Watch out for ANYBODY approaching you or getting even close to you during an ATM transaction. A group of mostly North-African (Algerian?) crooks are finding many new victims daily. They are very active along Soi Bouakao. There most used line: "Sorry Sir...You left some money in the ATM" and you will actually find1000 Baht in there..The rest varies...Yesterday one of them was arrested just off Soi Boaukao in Soi Diana Inn as he tried to do the scam on a vigilant elderly guy. There is 3 good descriptions out there:

Guy 1: Short, darkish Algerian type, 35-40, usually with/on motorbike with black helmet around ATM where he waits for victims, Guy 2: Medium heavy built Algerian type, 35-40, mole/wart dark left side of nose, wears black baseball cap Guy 3: Medium height, medium heavy, Algerian/Arab type, 45-55 half bald, carries small black backpack over the shoulder and is usually active from North Bouakao Market all the way to Soi Diana Inn. I personally know of 7 elderly people, mostly people on pensions, in a large condo building with their accounts emptied in the last 2 months! Merry Christmas!

[bangkokrick]

So how do they get your PIN number from you, by looking over your shoulder? I don't get the 1000 Baht left in the machine scam, so please will you explain. Thanks for the warning.

Thanks, Rick

[gorillagrower]

Are they card skimming or physically robbing people after seeing their atm code? French man got busted in Phuket for skimming in Pattaya seemed he was just a worker drone though to be frank.

[bubblehead]

So how do they get your PIN number from you, by looking over your shoulder? I don't get the 1000 Baht left in the machine scam, so please will you explain. Thanks for the warning.

Thanks, Rick

They will look over your shoulder like you say. Maybe the 1000 baht is a distraction while they grab your receipt. Once they have got the receipt they can clone your card.

[pipo1000]

If only a receipt is what they need to clone your card then they will have a golden business with the buckets full of receipts left at every atm in town.

They can have all my receipts for 1000 a piece.

Edited December 24, 2010 by pipo1000

[bangkokrick]

If only a receipt is what they need to clone your card then they will have a golden business with the buckets full of receipts left at every atm in town.

They can have all my receipts for 1000 a piece.

That's why I was confused, surely they need your pin number.

Cheers, Rick

[Seeker1953]

I don't know exactly how they do it but several people I know got approached by these guys; one of them got wiped out. So please take this seriously. One possibility is they install a small camera on the ATM machine and record your pin. I don't know that; it's just others said.

Thank you for the warning.

Seeker

[saintofsilence]

it is probably similar to this scam

http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2010/article9109.html

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.

Edited December 24, 2010 by saintofsilence

[bubblehead]

If only a receipt is what they need to clone your card then they will have a golden business with the buckets full of receipts left at every atm in town.

They can have all my receipts for 1000 a piece.

That's why I was confused, surely they need your pin number.

Cheers, Rick

Receipt (account details) plus pin number equals cloned card its that simple

[deejah]

it is probably similar to this scam

http://www.phuketgaz...rticle9109.html

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.

this story is hard to swallow

there are daily limits to the amounts you can withdraw

[random]

it is probably similar to this scam

http://www.phuketgaz...rticle9109.html

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.

this story is hard to swallow

there are daily limits to the amounts you can withdraw

you can set your own limit, my scb account I have set at 100k but could easily increase it to 200k, also i guess he was using a norwegian account which could also have a high withdrawal limit.

[dogleg]

So how do they get your PIN number from you, by looking over your shoulder? I don't get the 1000 Baht left in the machine scam, so please will you explain. Thanks for the warning.

Thanks, Rick

Yes, looking over shoulder or hidden camera.

Some machines still print the whole card number on the receipt instead of just the last 4 digits.

The 1000B will be a way to get the punter to show, and lose control of his receipt while counting his cash.

I got the right amount - you can keep the 1000B for your honesty mate.

Thanks!

[homeless007]

The recollection of these people have been varying. These crooks choose mostly elderly people, who are insecure. I am not making this up, these are 7 people living in a 350-unit condo off Soi Boaukao and off course this goes around and gets reported. Tenants know each-other.

On top of that, there were 3 cases reported where they did not succeed - descriptions of the "Algerians" match.

There are several versions and possibilities, whilst I am not aware of the cloning by receipt possibility.

All the victims reported having been approached upon turning away from the ATM by 1 guy: Sir you have left 1000 Baht in the machine, o.c. they all turned around and got the 1000 Baht. At this time the crook was very insisting with all of them: Your account not closed, you must push PIN and cancel for sure or somebody can take money from you account.Even so insecure what was going on they trusted the guy who just had tem returned a 1000 Baht bill. About half of them were urged to re-insert card, push in PIN and push cancel. The others say they only pushed cancel....???

Several of them say, the person in question was standing very close behind him, almost pushing him during transaction. The guy with the black helmet positions himself on the side of the road in an angle to ATM, 2 cases, both opp. the modern Kasikorn Branch on North Bouakao @ Siam C. ATM.

They might use a card reader, mini-camera, just wait for somebody not covering the PIN while withdrawing etc. etc. They might skim the card at the second attempt to cancel the account. Can they, what some people say, skim a card by passing a reader over your wallet? I don't know? Can they use a receipt? I don't know. Somebody might know details?! Clearly the police is aware what is going on in this respect and they had undercover people at the scene very fast 2 days ago on Soi Diana Inn.

Maybe somebody out there was scammed/skimmed and can recall and publish exact details.

Googling: ATM Scams gets some interesting results with lots of details.

I feel we should warn especially our elderly friends of this danger, many off them live month by month and are devastated with emptied accounts!

Hope you all had a great Christmas and will have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[saintofsilence]

The police would have photo's of these people from the cameras around they should publish the pictures on the news .

[sunshinegirl]

I was lying in bed one night just out of hospital and the bank phoned me to ask if I was using my card. Obviously i wasnt .They said dont worry but we need to cancel your card as someone is using it just now. They had whacked 25k out that night and 25k the night before.

I had to get out of bed and go and sit in the police station for 2 hours reporting it as the bank would not do anything without a police report. They didnt give a hoot at the bank All the main branch was interest in was getting me to pay 1200 baht for new card which I refused to pay.

How on earth they got my details i will never know . Now I only use the one in Jomtien and the branch in Central Festival with exception off the day I came out of the hospital I used the machine there. So one of them must have been rigged. Now we have a hassle with the bank trying to get the money back.

Now they say they will pay me half as I spoke to someone (who I knew and was nowhere near when i did the transaction) when I was at the machine one day but I have refused so don't know what the outcome will be.

Edited December 25, 2010 by sunshinegirl

[deejah]

good to know thanks

scary stuff

on top of online hackers

[Dhali]

They where in action last night down soi 7 as they tried it on with two friends of mine and thanks to this forum i was able to inform my friends as to what scam they where doing ( they fled quite quick ).

[deejah]

it looks like there is a new k bank atm right next to an exchange on soi bouycow

between where they tore town 7 and the lady boy bar

not far from soi honey

seems real safe especially during normal hours

a bit OT:

i prefer cash from usa dollar account from k bank atms

they seem to give a competitive rate even with the 150 baht fee and my 1% at home (that's about 2% total fee)

10 dollars on 500 withdrawal

IS THERE A BETTER RATE SOMEWHERE???

i can now get 15,000 baht form the max 500 dollars a day

will be taking advantage of that until the dollar drops again

not the same as 20,000 years back

but i am getting it now while i can before possible further drop

comes out to about 29.5 to the dollar

CAN ONE DO BETTER?

[smedly]

A reciept is no use, you need more than that off the magnetic strip

[homeless007]

They where in action last night down soi 7 as they tried it on with two friends of mine and thanks to this forum i was able to inform my friends as to what scam they where doing ( they fled quite quick ).

Yes, this forum is a great thing, even with the few negative/provocative posters. We are glad we were able to warn some people. Just spread the word, even if we don't know exactly how this scam happens, if we keep vigilant, we won't get caught up in it. Hopefully the cops will get all of them soon. Happy New Year to all.

[knortyboy]

Can they, what some people say, skim a card by passing a reader over your wallet? I don't know?

Yes, not a conventional card reader but it can be done quite easily

[homeless007]

Can they, what some people say, skim a card by passing a reader over your wallet? I don't know?

Yes, not a conventional card reader but it can be done quite easily

This would conform with the account of 3 of the victims, that insist they did not re-insert the card, but they were made to push in the PIN again and press cancel. They felt the guy was helping them, after he just had "given" them 1000 Baht. All 3 said the guy came really uncomfortably close to them. A fact is that 7 people had their accounts emptied, another 1 was clever, knew the scam, grabbed the 1000 Baht and immediately went into the bank to cancel his ATM card. One of them after asking him again, said, his card was rejected and spit out several times, he could not get any cash and next day his 26'000 were gone. Was hoping some experts could get us some more detailed info.

[vpi78]

homeless007, on 2010-12-25 18:05, said:

Can they, what some people say, skim a card by passing a reader over your wallet? I don't know?

Yes, one of the down sides of the new chip enabled cards is that they can be skimmed/scanned by a reader while in your wallet in your pocket by someone just walking by close to you. Passports that are chip enabled can be similarly skimed and in some cases the bad guys can even get your photo from the skim. The US State department personnel now instruct its employees to keep their chip-enabled cards and passports in special sleeves when not in use.

Google the sleeves and you can find them for sale but Aluminum/Aluminium foil also works, i.e., keep your card covered by foil when not in use.

[deejah]

would having the magnetic side facing in / facing your body help or no help at all?

i know being a bit paranoid i suppose

[bartender100]

There are hundreds of ATM's if someone is standing right behind you , just walk away and use another, i can't see how they can clone a card from your receipt, nothing about that on the net. If you let someone help you use an ATM, then you seriously need help anyway, even if your are elderly

[surangw]

The police would have photo's of these people from the cameras around they should publish the pictures on the news .

unless they get a cut, like he jet ski turds (and other scammers)

[knortyboy]

This is how easy it is to get details. Scary stuff.

http://www.wreg.com/videobeta/?watchId=8ba6f8fc-90a2-4711-90ea-1884ec348310

[homeless007]

Great info. Thanks. HL.

[surangw]

This is how easy it is to get details. Scary stuff.

http://www.wreg.com/...ea-1884ec348310

makes me wonder why the cc companies did not think very far ahead in the design of the rfid embedded cards

[Danlo]

Thanks for the heads up.