Romanian Tourist Arrested For ATM Hacking: Bangkok

[webfact]

Man held for ATM hacking

The Nation

A Romanian man was arrested on Sukhumvit Soi 7 for hacking into European banks' customer information to make withdrawals from automated teller machines (ATMs) in Thailand.

Tourist Police yesterday presented to the press the suspect, Lozinca George Alexandru, 22, along with Bt6,000 cash, 655 fake electronic cards, a magneticstrip reader and recorder, and a notebook computer.

Siam Commercial Bank's fraudprevention officials had alerted police about the unauthorised withdrawals.

After police identified the suspect from a picture by an ATM security camera, they found the man withdrawing cash from a machine on Sukhumvit Soi 7 and followed him to his apartment, where they uncovered more fake cards.

He allegedly told police that he and two other Romanians came to Thailand on October 19. They withdrew about Bt50 million cash and sent the money to the gang leader in Romania after taking a 10percent cut.

Police are looking for the two other gang members.

-- The Nation 2011-12-09

[South]

50 Million??? Shoot the focka!

[mca]

Absolute classic if the Thai cops talking all seriously at the press conference and the bloke suddenly goes " PEEKABOO!"

Plus I see a local songtaew driver's just wandered in at the back to see what all the fuss is about.

Edited December 9, 2011 by mca

[stickyrice2000]

Wow! That's over $1 million on just the ATM withdrawals. Amazing Thailand!

[gk10002000]

50 million baht in one month. In a fairly small city. That is a fair amount of cash to transfer out. The local Western Union wire office must have been busy? How did he "send" the money out?

[Dap]

50 million baht in one month. In a fairly small city. That is a fair amount of cash to transfer out. The local Western Union wire office must have been busy? How did he "send" the money out?

In a box?

[chooka]

Absolute classic if the Thai cops talking all seriously at the press conference and the bloke suddenly goes " PEEKABOO!"

Plus I see a local songtaew driver's just wandered in at the back to see what all the fuss is about.

You have to love the Thai trophy pics where everyone wants in. This one must of been taken during the lunch break as normally the room is full and shoulder to shoulder. Personally I do not agree with the Thai authorities parading "Suspects" before the media for trophy pics. How many innocent people have been named and shamed in this manner? These pics say guilty before thier day in court. This guy may very well be guilty but wait until proven such before parading people

[asdecas]

He seems rather follicly challenged for a twenty-two year old. Still, I suppose it's the stressful job....

[Briggsy]

50,000,000 / 20,000 per withdrawal = 2500 withdrawals.

He must have been working his arse off, running up and down Sukhumvit trying to stay one step ahead of the cameras and the cops.

[Gers1873]

These Romanina crooks are highly organized and operating in a number of countries. Excellent Panorama documentary recently on their illegal operations, including using children to beg, in the UK. Hundreds of thousands of pounds being sent back to the'gypsy bosses' in a Romanian village.

[geriatrickid]

Absolute classic if the Thai cops talking all seriously at the press conference and the bloke suddenly goes " PEEKABOO!"

Plus I see a local songtaew driver's just wandered in at the back to see what all the fuss is about.

I have just laughed so hard, I think that I have soiled myself.

You know what's classic? The line, Plus I see a local songtaew driver's just wandered in at the back to see what all the fuss is about

Brilliant.

[HerbalEd]

50 Million??? Shoot the focka!

No need. His big boss back home may well do that.

[HerbalEd]

50 million baht in one month. In a fairly small city. That is a fair amount of cash to transfer out. The local Western Union wire office must have been busy? How did he "send" the money out?

BKK is far from being a "small city" .... fairly or otherwise.

Edited December 9, 2011 by HerbalEd

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Unfortunately, absolutely no info in the article of HOW these guys were getting access to victims' accounts...

Using an ATM card reader illegally attached to local ATMs? Using some business, perhaps catering to Europeans, to skim the cards?

And why only, as the article put it, European customers bank accounts... They're not the only ones using ATMs... Unless it was some other method. Makes you wonder, just how these guys were doing their business.

And, as someone above posted, how were they transferring those kinds of amounts and volumes out of Thailand... Going thru the banking system in that manner most surely would attract attention.

[jamesbrock]

Unfortunately, absolutely no info in the article of HOW these guys were getting access to victims' accounts...

Using an ATM card reader illegally attached to local ATMs? Using some business, perhaps catering to Europeans, to skim the cards?

And why only, as the article put it, European customers bank accounts... They're not the only ones using ATMs... Unless it was some other method. Makes you wonder, just how these guys were doing their business.

And, as someone above posted, how were they transferring those kinds of amounts and volumes out of Thailand... Going thru the banking system in that manner most surely would attract attention.

By the sound of it, they arrived here with the fake cards already made up with information skimmed from cards in Europe.

[sparebox2]

50 million baht in one month. In a fairly small city. That is a fair amount of cash to transfer out. The local Western Union wire office must have been busy? How did he "send" the money out?

In a box?

No need to send out. Just hide them in some politican house. Then rob it.

[laurentbkk]

and what about the 20 millions bath recover from the minister of transport ? was it also ATM fraud ?

[champken]

These Romanina crooks are highly organized and operating in a number of countries. Excellent Panorama documentary recently on their illegal operations, including using children to beg, in the UK. Hundreds of thousands of pounds being sent back to the'gypsy bosses' in a Romanian village.

Yes and the UK welcomes them with open arms. Just one of the many reasons why the UK is now a <deleted> hole

[KhunHay]

50 Million??? Shoot the focka!

Oh yes !! And where is the other two accomplice? These focka are threat to the whole world although this piece of action we read happened in Thailand now.

[KhunHay]

Unfortunately, absolutely no info in the article of HOW these guys were getting access to victims' accounts...

Using an ATM card reader illegally attached to local ATMs? Using some business, perhaps catering to Europeans, to skim the cards?

And why only, as the article put it, European customers bank accounts... They're not the only ones using ATMs... Unless it was some other method. Makes you wonder, just how these guys were doing their business.

And, as someone above posted, how were they transferring those kinds of amounts and volumes out of Thailand... Going thru the banking system in that manner most surely would attract attention.

There should be more links to it just like how grapes fruits are grow "IF" only the police act fast and probe in further. Pehaps these scumbags paid some business joints employee for some rewards in return to obtain the customer card info during other genuie purchases.

[ajarnpot]

Can we set up a workshop here? a kind of how to? augmenting income for all tv members

[elwood]

Unfortunately, absolutely no info in the article of HOW these guys were getting access to victims' accounts...

Using an ATM card reader illegally attached to local ATMs? Using some business, perhaps catering to Europeans, to skim the cards?

And why only, as the article put it, European customers bank accounts... They're not the only ones using ATMs... Unless it was some other method. Makes you wonder, just how these guys were doing their business.

And, as someone above posted, how were they transferring those kinds of amounts and volumes out of Thailand... Going thru the banking system in that manner most surely would attract attention.

There should be more links to it just like how grapes fruits are grow "IF" only the police act fast and probe in further. Pehaps these scumbags paid some business joints employee for some rewards in return to obtain the customer card info during other genuie purchases.

Why is it that so many TV people instantly want to look for Thai involvement?

As James Brock wrote, probably they arrived with cards already skimmed - European cards belonging to Europeans. That seems to be the usual method, steal the details in one country or continent, then use them in another.

[falangjim]

He seems rather follicly challenged for a twenty-two year old. Still, I suppose it's the stressful job....

[blackthorn2005]

50 Million??? Shoot the focka!

Then send his body, in bits, in a box to his friends at home, send them a clear concise message. Stay away!

[BWPattaya]

50 million baht in one month. In a fairly small city. That is a fair amount of cash to transfer out. The local Western Union wire office must have been busy? How did he "send" the money out?

In a box?

In a couple ofsuitcases......................it has been done before.

[alexth]

Absolute classic if the Thai cops talking all seriously at the press conference and the bloke suddenly goes " PEEKABOO!"

Plus I see a local songtaew driver's just wandered in at the back to see what all the fuss is about.

I have just laughed so hard, I think that I have soiled myself.

You know what's classic? The line, Plus I see a local songtaew driver's just wandered in at the back to see what all the fuss is about

Brilliant.

Yeah, the guy still doesn't realize that the tuk tuk driver was actually the undercovered cop...

[BWPattaya]

Absolute classic if the Thai cops talking all seriously at the press conference and the bloke suddenly goes " PEEKABOO!"

Plus I see a local songtaew driver's just wandered in at the back to see what all the fuss is about.

I have just laughed so hard, I think that I have soiled myself.

You know what's classic? The line, Plus I see a local songtaew driver's just wandered in at the back to see what all the fuss is about

Brilliant.

I have seen plain clothes police here that look scruffier than the one at the back of the group.

[timberboy]

No wonder that the guy covered his face!!!! I would too id i was 22 and bald as a babies butt

He seems rather follicly challenged for a twenty-two year old. Still, I suppose it's the stressful job....

[fred110]

50 Million??? Shoot the focka!

Oh yes !! And where is the other two accomplice? These focka are threat to the whole world although this piece of action we read happened in Thailand now.

The other 2 paid the police, so got away.

[a10ams]

"They withdrew about Bt50 million cash and sent the money to the gang leader in Romania after taking a 10percent cut".

Wow! That's over $1 million on just the ATM withdrawals. Amazing Thailand!

I think you need to shop around for a better exchange rate!