Just got an email from a friend who is in Pattaya , this sort of thing has happened to him before & it seems he got the best of it this time.

"Hello All

I was just out side the Lek hotel using the ATM machine when I took out some money then a guy was standing behind me and said have you finished I said yes I have then he said look is this yours and he was holding 1000 baht where the money comes out of the machine. I reached for the 1000 baht said thanks for that then he said put your card in and check your balance. I then said no it will be ok and walked into the Lek hotel sat down at the table and counted my money to find out that I was now 1000 baht up. Now I am back at the hotel and I will lock my cards up. He did not use the ATM machine as I was watching from the Lek hotel where I was sitting

So 1000 baht up he was a Arab guy"

Aha, this scam has been noted on here before, also be aware that the machine might have been tampered with, good that your friend knew this scam, sometimes the guy will take your card from the machine, and quickly swipe it in a reader whilst another guy might approach and ask something.

Edited January 9, 201214 yr by beano2274

Many news reports of such scams here, often around the Soi Buakow/2nd Rd area.

The perpetrators are almost invariably French-speaking persons of Arab origin.

Many news reports of such scams here, often around the Soi Buakow/2nd Rd area.

The perpetrators are almost invariably French-speaking persons of Arab origin.

But we wont bash Soi Buakow as thats a whole other thread.

Just a couple of simple facts that anyone can verify from a search in the news links.

I'm not bashing anyone or anything.

• If the machine had a fake card insert in it then your card would have been read and a copy maybe made, as the chap was standing behind you he may have a note of your PIN. If not, there may hav ebeen a camera located somewhere that captures the PIN input.
  

Please change your PIN as soon as you can as you dont want to find your account is being emptied.

Just a thought for you, I sed to work for a Briitish Police force where this happned many times.

Good luck.

Just a couple of simple facts that anyone can verify from a search in the news links.

I'm not bashing anyone or anything.

Sarcasm wasted.

• If the machine had a fake card insert in it then your card would have been read and a copy maybe made, as the chap was standing behind you he may have a note of your PIN. If not, there may hav ebeen a camera located somewhere that captures the PIN input.
  

Please change your PIN as soon as you can as you dont want to find your account is being emptied.

Just a thought for you, I sed to work for a Briitish Police force where this happned many times.

Good luck.

yep, your friend is a 1000 baht up(that is if it's genuine note)get him onto his bank pronto and request a replacement card especially if it is a debit card he is using as that comes directly out of his account and take ages to be refunded where as a credit card is billed to you and you have to pay it personally.

From someone who has experienced credit card fraud personally do not leave anything to chance

Edited January 9, 201214 yr by norrona

I'm hearing of so many people being scammed at atm machines.And the bank don't reimburse ya,or it ]

takes forever for them to do it.I use atm's hardly ever.

Another reason to take time and use an ATM machine inside a bank or shopping center.

• If the machine had a fake card insert in it then your card would have been read and a copy maybe made, as the chap was standing behind you he may have a note of your PIN. If not, there may hav ebeen a camera located somewhere that captures the PIN input.
  

Please change your PIN as soon as you can as you dont want to find your account is being emptied.

Just a thought for you, I sed to work for a Briitish Police force where this happned many times.

Good luck.

yep, your friend is a 1000 baht up(that is if it's genuine note)get him onto his bank pronto and request a replacement card especially if it is a debit card he is using as that comes directly out of his account and take ages to be refunded where as a credit card is billed to you and you have to pay it personally.

From someone who has experienced credit card fraud personally do not leave anything to chance

As the guy simply took the 1000 baht and walked away why does he need to change his card or do anything ?

• If the machine had a fake card insert in it then your card would have been read and a copy maybe made, as the chap was standing behind you he may have a note of your PIN. If not, there may hav ebeen a camera located somewhere that captures the PIN input.
  

Please change your PIN as soon as you can as you dont want to find your account is being emptied.

Just a thought for you, I sed to work for a Briitish Police force where this happned many times.

Good luck.

yep, your friend is a 1000 baht up(that is if it's genuine note)get him onto his bank pronto and request a replacement card especially if it is a debit card he is using as that comes directly out of his account and take ages to be refunded where as a credit card is billed to you and you have to pay it personally.

From someone who has experienced credit card fraud personally do not leave anything to chance

As the guy simply took the 1000 baht and walked away why does he need to change his card or do anything ?

That also occurred to me. Unless he was close enough to see your pin number and then able to obtain or clone the card there is nothing the would be fraudster can do.

if it was a debit card with money coming straight out of your account I would say it is best to be cautious....all we know on this one is what the OP has posted and been told by his friend, they may not drain the account straight away themselves but sell on the information.

debit cards especially if you're in the country at the sametime of this happening are very hard to get refunded and the banks will take their time, there is so much fraud about these days the have to!

It is possible for him to scan your friends card if it has a smart card chip. If he had a camera or was watching close enough he could then clone the card. If he had a card scanner he would have to be within about 1 meter. So I would have your friend change the pin number. If he was at LEK hotel he should have told the exchange booth to call the police. If you want to be safe when withdrawing money use the atm from a bank or in the shopping mall where they have an mini branch. Too many camera's around for the scammers.

Sounds like he got close to get the card info via a RFID(?) scanner and then would note the pin if he keyed it in to check his balance.

The only one scammed was the scammer, haha.

From another ATM scam thread in the phuket forum:

There were tips in that thread http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4973473 on how to safeguard your ATM/bank account from these types of transactions. But in summary, treat your ATM card as if it were cash.

I can see where you can have a temporary lapse in awareness could cause someone to actually go back and check their balance if they believed that it was an ATM error. Or better yet, call bangkok bank using cell phone and report it. But NEVER hand your ATM card to stranger.

Edited January 12, 201214 yr by 4evermaat