Pattaya Police Arrest 2 Frenchmen For Multi Million Baht ATM Fraud

[webfact]

Multi Million ATM Fraud 2 Frenchmen Arrested

Foreign ATM fraudsters were arrested By Pattaya Police. The victims were found to have lost up to a million Baht each.

Pattaya, 15th February 2011 [PDN] : At approximately 05.30 pm of Tuesday, Pol. Col. Nanthawut Suwanlaorng (Pattaya Police Superintendent) and his investigation team cooperating with the police officers from Chon Buri Transnational Suppression Unit announced the arrest of two foreign ATM fraudsters, Mr. Ali Ennouri (28) and Mr. Alexandre Giro Zinno (29) both of French nationality. The evidence discovered included an ATM and credit card copy machine called a “skimmer”, a notebook recording several of the victims passwords, two of ATM and credit cards, and 100,000 baht cash.

The superintendent revealed that the police had been informed by Thai Commercial Bank, reporting that customers’ had been relieved of money up to a million baht, taken from their accounts by the foreign gang. The method used was to copy the victim’electronic cards.Subsequently, the police received information from the bank officer (working in a Thai Commercial bank exchange box in South Pattaya) noticing a group of suspicious foreigners who were using the ATM there. The police team were then dispatched to inspect at the scene apprehending the suspects, finding several items of evidence that were in a belt bag.

Full story and pictures: HERE

-- Pattaya Daily News 2010-02-16

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[webfact]

Two French ATM Skimming suspects caught by Pattaya Police

PATTAYA: -- Two French Nationals, accused of a multi-million Baht ATM skimming operation based in Pattaya have been arrested by Pattaya Police. On Tuesday Afternoon at Pattaya Police Station, Police Colonel Nantawoot, the Pattaya Police Chief announced the arrest of Mr. Ali Ennouri aged 28 and Mr. Alexandrie Giro Zinno aged 29, both French passport holders. They were arrested outside a Siam Commercial Bank Booth in South Pattaya after staff became suspicious of the two men who appeared to be assisting mostly elderly foreigner with their ATM transactions. The men were caught with ATM skimming equipment, including a blank credit card, laptop computer and 100,000 Baht in cash, along with a small book containing credit card numbers and pin numbers of almost 20 foreigners, all of them were found to be elderly and therefore vulnerable to such a scam.

Full story HERE

-- Pattaya One 2011-02-16

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[ableguy]

Hope the scumbags get some serious time.

[TAWP]

How did they originally get hold of the cards so they could skim them?

Running a restaurant?

[Phatcharanan]

How did they originally get hold of the cards so they could skim them?

Running a restaurant?

They sometimes use a 'false front' which covers the original face of the ATM. This then records card info and PINS and is passed wirelessly onto one of the fraudsters nearby.

[WarpSpeed]

Yep I always look the machine over before putting in my card, if anything looks dodgy I find another one..

[Colabamumbai]

How did they originally get hold of the cards so they could skim them?

Running a restaurant?

They sometimes use a 'false front' which covers the original face of the ATM. This then records card info and PINS and is passed wirelessly onto one of the fraudsters nearby.

Yes exactly and some restaurant waiters can use skimmers and your info goes to Hong Kong and your credit card is used to the limit within hours. Never accept help at an ATM machine, preferably use one in a building, where many customers are using them.

[pompoiman]

french they must from one of the north african parts of the old colonial then , both look distinctly arabian to me not european???????

[appropriate]

Hope the scumbags get some serious time.

British guy got 18 1/2 yrs in phuket 2 yrs ago.

His teenage son 'Sonny' got 4.

[Rimmer]

Hang 'em high post removed from view, sensible contribution to the topic only please

[doggie888888]

How did they originally get hold of the cards so they could skim them?

Running a restaurant?

They sometimes use a 'false front' which covers the original face of the ATM. This then records card info and PINS and is passed wirelessly onto one of the fraudsters nearby.

My understanding is they can "skim" the card but the PIN cannot be read. The only way is if they observe you keying it in; if they skim your card with the contraption mounted on the face of the ATM, they also put a camera (which you assume is the bank's) behind you to see what numbers you key-in.

Do the victims get reimbursed or is it bye-bye cash? Who is legally liable: bank or victim of fraud? I think in Australia it's the bank who will indemnify. In Thailand?

My credit card was cloned about 10 years ago: purchases of some AUD20k was made, but I did not pay because I reported it as soon as I saw it on the statement. I wonder if bank would be as nice about it here in Thailand? Does anyone know the legal obligations of the banks in Thailand when it comes to fraud like these?

[tragickingdom]

I do not get these people, it underscores the fact that these kinds of people can only do hands on things that a well trained monkey can do too. If you do these kinds of things why doing it (and staying) in Pattaya? In Europe skimming is a real contagious disease that comes from Eastern Europe, their leaders seldom get caught.

[thurien]

french they must from one of the north african parts of the old colonial then , both look distinctly arabian to me not european???????

don't forget: there is plenty of ethnics carrying a French passport: Original Lao, Vietnam, Cambodian, North & Central African, Guyana, Polynesians, repatriated Canadians, formerly migrated Eastern Bloc from Russia/Poland etc.

Edited February 17, 2011 by thurien

[julemanden]

french they must from one of the north african parts of the old colonial then , both look distinctly arabian to me not european???????

Yeah look at their names

[bitterbatter]

Why is it that these ATM frauds are always happening in Pattaya? This question is rhetorical.

[DumFarang]

I hope whatever punishment they get doesn't involve deporting them. They'll pay much more dearly being stuck here doing time in a Thai prison. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, not anywhere in SE Asia for that matter.

[bitterbatter]

Don't mean to scare anyone, but you ought to know that another way to get card information is through scanning for RFID chips. You can be within ten feet of someone and read their card information, unless it is stored in a magnetized card holder. This of course does not give you the PIN number. More then likely, a fake atm slot device was used.

A similar thing can be done using a bluetooth hack to grab information off of any nearby mobile devices. That is how Paris Hilton had her personal contacts stolen from her phone a few years ago.

Edited February 17, 2011 by bitterbatter

[DumFarang]

Don't mean to scare anyone, but you ought to know that another way to get card information is through scanning for RFID chips. You can be within ten feet of someone and read their card information, unless it is stored in a magnetized card holder. This of course does not give you the PIN number. More then likely, a fake atm slot device was used.

Scary.

[johncat1]

Don't deport them just keep them in a Thai jail until ALL money is refunded

[aperturebkk]

lock em up and throw away the key... also, the banks must return all funds to people caught in the middle... time for finger prints to be used as part of an atm pin ? i'm all for it.... top points to the bank employee for keeping an eye open.... he should head up the police force thailand wide

[asiawatcher]

french they must from one of the north african parts of the old colonial then , both look distinctly arabian to me not european???????

Yes not your 'average' Frenchmen - more like Algiers or Moroccan.

[anterian]

Whenever I use my English ATM card I get an automatic text message on my mobile asking if it was a genuine transaction. It seems a simple and effective system.

[philhal2]

french they must from one of the north african parts of the old colonial then , both look distinctly arabian to me not european???????

don't forget: there is plenty of ethnics carrying a French passport: Original Lao, Vietnam, Cambodian, North & Central African, Guyana, Polynesians, repatriated Canadians, formerly migrated Eastern Bloc from Russia/Poland etc.

You must be a sensitive French Person ? All people do evil and unfortunately some are French

[lucjoker]

french they must from one of the north african parts of the old colonial then , both look distinctly arabian to me not european???????

They dammage the name of their host country,

so take away their french nationality,they obvious dont deserve it!

[bristolgeoff]

quality goal time for them along with many others now.they will not be doing anything now for a few years but time

[powderpuff]

The story says they were offering to assist elderly persons. That, to me, is how they got the PIN munbers.

But don't let me stop you dreaming up all kinds of phony ATM machine scams.

[metisdead]

A post advocating bodily harm has been removed.

[doggie888888]

The story says they were offering to assist elderly persons. That, to me, is how they got the PIN munbers.

But don't let me stop you dreaming up all kinds of phony ATM machine scams.

PIN without the data strip of your ATM card is virtually useless. They still need to skim or clone or steal your card.

[elektrified]

french they must from one of the north african parts of the old colonial then , both look distinctly arabian to me not european???????

Indeed they may be "...both of French nationality..." but they do not look like the French people I know in France.

[alexth]

Why is it that these ATM frauds are always happening in Pattaya? This question is rhetorical.

It's happening all over the world and also in Phuket and Bangkok