Phuket ATM Scams: Even Professionals Get Caught Out

[Neurath]

For anyone wanting a good warning on this sort of thing look to Misha Glenny's book "Dark Market"

For concrete advice on how you might spot ATM's that have scanners put on to them go to "Krebbs on Security" - Krebbs was the Washington Post reporter on IT security. Stick "ATM Scammers" into the search field and there you have it. Some of them are very, very hard to spot.

sorry, for the info repeat!

[Brewsta]

Living in Thailand for 17 years and STILL had to get a friend's TGF to speak to the bank!

Learn some Thai my man!!

ความคิดที่ดี - a good idea? I love these free translation services. Ching ching / Chai?

Possibly, maybe, as it were.

But this tonal stuff in the verbal Thai language does guarantee a laugh on many an occasion IMO , no? yes? don't give a fug?

[EvilDrSomkid]

No, I think the story is accurate but leaves out the details on how it's done (for good reason). For that, see Krebs: http://krebsonsecuri...ag/atm-skimmer/

Wow, VERY interesting information...not to mention scary.

[Postmaster]

Change any magnetic strip only cards for Chip and Pin cards immediately. I did that with my Bangkok Bank magnetic strip card after a colleague was duped in a similar way at a Pattaya Branch of BKK Bank. He lost over 150,000 Baht. To this day, several months later, he is still negotiating with the BKK Bank but they are unlikely to reimburse him he feels.

[DRONGOH]

How are these thieves able to take so much cash from a single account via an ATM in one day? My accounts have limits.

The Falcon security system can be confused by making small amounts withdrawls simultaneously from many different atm's.

[Jimi007]

Change any magnetic strip only cards for Chip and Pin cards immediately. I did that with my Bangkok Bank magnetic strip card after a colleague was duped in a similar way at a Pattaya Branch of BKK Bank. He lost over 150,000 Baht. To this day, several months later, he is still negotiating with the BKK Bank but they are unlikely to reimburse him he feels.

Sorry but those cards only work with Bangkok Bank ATMs. They won't work internationally or with any other Thai bank.

[F4UCorsair]

Phuket AGAIN???!!! Is there a day where Phuket is NOT in the news about some scam? Patong AGAIN? Why do people persist to go there? For all the glorious places in Thailand the magnet of Patong continues to attract the naive and even the not so naive.

Until tourists vote with their feet to choose better areas of which there are many (even on Phuket) these scams will persist and the BIB (soon to be GIB if the girls programme is widened!) will continue to drag their feet in response. But of course not to lose face the commanders will have many press conferences saying how hard they are working to combat crime there. Same old.

No, no, no!!! Leave all the cons and spivs in Phuket/Patong. If people stop going there, the cons will just move to where the people are, so better to have them inside the tent pi$$ing out than outside the tent pi$$ing in.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I can't tell from the language in the OP news report...

Have either of the two victims mentioned in the case actually gotten their funds back as yet from their respective banks?

Or, they've been PROMISED that by either the bank or police or consumer protection folks, and still waiting?

BTW, this case illustrates the difference between using a Thai bank card vs. a farang home country bank card:

--Get scammed with a Thai bank card, and you're likely to never get your money back or face a year of struggle to get it back.

--Get scammed with a home country bank card, and you'll probably get your funds restored within a couple weeks assuming you weren't negligent or did anything wrong.

A couple of years ago, I had my wallet pickpocketed on the BTS Skytrain with my U.S. debit card inside. I discovered the theft pretty quickly, went home immediately to call the card issuing bank, and did so within an hour or so of that theft.

In that time, the thieves had rang up $1000 in purchases (the daily limit on that card for POS) at one of the nearby Central Malls in back to back purchases at different shops. I had to get a Thai police report, and send a copy to my U.S. bank, and to coordinate with BTS where the theft occurred.

Within two weeks, and a lot of worries on the way, I got all the funds restored to my checking account without too much hassle or grief.

Good luck in ever having that happen with a Thai bank. The U.S. and many other countries have consumer protection laws covering bank cards issued by their banks. Thailand basically does not.

[LivinginKata]

<snip>

Have either of the two victims mentioned in the case actually gotten their funds back as yet from their respective banks?

Or, they've been PROMISED that by either the bank or police or consumer protection folks, and still waiting?

I can tell you that in my case (50,000 baht from ATM) neither the bank (Kasikorn) or police were helpful. Just wanted me to go away. Bank would not provide CCTV footage, must request police to get footage from bank. I filed a report with police, never heard from them. Even after repeated request the footage was never provided. Refund from bank not even considered. Insinuated that my wife might have used my card when I knew (after the event) how I had been skimmed. I cancelled my ATM card. Now I just go into bank, show passport, and get cash.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Sorry to hear that, Kata.. Unfortunately, your experience seems to be the more common one felt here by Thai bank card fraud victims, whether in Phuket or elsewhere. It's been repeated over and over and over again.

It would be interesting to hear from either of the victims mentioned in the OP article how they were able to get authorities to be responsive, particularly the Office of Consumer Protection, which hasn't been a very visible player in bankcard fraud cases in the past, at least from many of the various accounts posted here.

Ahh.... PS -- The "your Thai wife/GF must have done it" insinuation seems to be a common response from some of the Thai banks when farang guys are the victims. Unfortunately, in some cases, I'm sure that's probably true.