Atm Scammers..

[mrmazinkle]

I live out in the sticks in Loei..\Recently have had my bank card cloned pin number stolen and over £900mtaken from my acct.I am still waiting to hear from my bsnk,,So just a warning.. I have no idea how they do this but will in future be extra careful.I just want people to be aware of this scam and be extra vigilant.I am sure it must be even more prevalant in tourist towns and Bkk. .no need to reply with any clever jibes or witicisms..\thanks.

[lopburi3]

This was a foreign ATM card if Pounds are involved I would guess. You did call your bank I hope so it can not be used again? Suspect you will need a new card and pin. Nobody ever had access to your card or/and PIN?

Perhaps the safest precaution would be to only use ATM machines inside of banks (where a skimmer and camera/overlay would be much harder to plant). Second would be those on outside of banks where they are likely checked daily.

If you have a joint account you might want to pay for two ATM cards so you will have an alternative if one becomes compromised or fails to work/eaten.

[CharlieH]

I find easiest and safest way is to have the SMS alert, anything moves in or out you get an sms immediately, worth the 20 baht monthly fee for the extra peace of mind.

[FalangBaa]

There are retail outlets in Loei that will allow you to use a bank card for payment? They even have ATM machines there now? Wow, Loei has really advanced since I visited it about 6 years ago. Couldn't find an ATM anywhere.

[bangkoksimon]

I find easiest and safest way is to have the SMS alert, anything moves in or out you get an sms immediately, worth the 20 baht monthly fee for the extra peace of mind.

how do you get the sms alert - do you have to activate it via online banking ? haven't seen it with my bangkok bank settings

[phetphet]

Have you used it somewhere to pay a bill, where it has been out of your sight for a few seconds? In a restaurant maybe? Often workers in these places carry a portable card reader to copy card details. These are then used to create a clone.

Always pays to check the slot on ATM's to see if a fake slot has been overlaid the original. You can "google more info on such methods.

[55Jay]

Crazy stuff.

Like the SMS feature mentioned by CharlieH. Did get a humorous thought ,even as the feature does sound very beneficial.

- Bzz Bzz, SMS received > ATM w/d, 1,000 Baht.

- Me calling Mrs, "Are you at the mall?"

OP, hope you get that sorted out with home bank.

J

Edited July 22, 2012 by lopburi3
correct font

[p_brownstone]

Google "RFID Skimming" - and be afraid!

These devices are available on the Internet with Card Cloning Software / Hardware too.

Patrick

[4evermaat]

i dont care what atm i am using, i always shield the keypad with one hand or booklet/atm card holder and use my body to shield most of the screen during the pin typing. This protects against onlookers and hidden cameras, even if the camera was directly above the keypad. I do it in such a way that i can barely see my own fingers as i type the pin. I also fake-press extra keys before pressing the enter key. Afterwards, if I remember, I'll wipe the atm keys (briefly to smear/randomize the fingerprint)

If I am using a stand-alone atm, i do feel around the atm quickly for any fake/loose keypads. Anything looks fishy, I go to a different atm. AEON atms are inside with staffed people, and I still do the body/hand shielding to protect pin.

I rarely use my debit card for in-person purchases anymore, only online purchases. They'd have to get me at the atm or i lose my card and don't report it in time.

[ripstanley]

I find easiest and safest way is to have the SMS alert, anything moves in or out you get an sms immediately, worth the 20 baht monthly fee for the extra peace of mind.

My SCB account charges 10 Baht a month. I agree with the above post cover your pin input. Without a pin an ATM account cannot work. Credit card skimmers are totally different. If the credit card is out of your sight then there is a greater likelyhood of a fraud. Restuarants have the greatest vunerablility.

Edited July 22, 2012 by ripstanley

[Traxster]

OMG ....I checked out 'RFID Scamming' on Youtube and now I wanna go back to the pre-card days.

I recently had money taken from my ATM account and if I ever find the SOB who did it ......

'blood will flow' ..........

[Postmaster]

A assume your money was in a Thai Bank Account and not an overseas one ? An Aussie friend of mine from Jomtien Beach was tricked at the external ATM at the BKK Branch in Pattaya opposite 'The Living Room' . Briefly his card got stuck and a 'helpful' person standing behind went to 'assist' him and within, what must have been a flash of a second, retrieved the card, passed to an accomplice standing behind and returned it to the ATM slot and told my friend to 'try again' . His P.I.N was noted and within one week 190,000 baht was cleared from his account! He tried very hard with Bangkok Bank but they could do nothing to help him afterwards.

[4evermaat]

I find easiest and safest way is to have the SMS alert, anything moves in or out you get an sms immediately, worth the 20 baht monthly fee for the extra peace of mind.

My SCB account charges 10 Baht a month. I agree with the above post cover your pin input. Without a pin an ATM account cannot work. Credit card skimmers are totally different. If the credit card is out of your sight then there is a greater likelyhood of a fraud. Restuarants have the greatest vunerablility.

A assume your money was in a Thai Bank Account and not an overseas one ? An Aussie friend of mine from Jomtien Beach was tricked at the external ATM at the BKK Branch in Pattaya opposite 'The Living Room' . Briefly his card got stuck and a 'helpful' person standing behind went to 'assist' him and within, what must have been a flash of a second, retrieved the card, passed to an accomplice standing behind and returned it to the ATM slot and told my friend to 'try again' . His P.I.N was noted and within one week 190,000 baht was cleared from his account! He tried very hard with Bangkok Bank but they could do nothing to help him afterwards.

Once the money is gone, that's it. The consumer protection laws are not the same here in thailand like they are in other western countries, particularly the USA. You must take extra care to secure your atm card, if you choose to have one issued on your account. There is a thread on this topic where strategies are discussed, but the main strategies are:

- remove the purchase (POS) ability by setting the daily purchase limit to $0. You can change this via phone banking at anytime when you want to make a purchase.

- you usually cannot remove the ATM withdraw limit completely, but you can set it as low as possible. You can always up it temporarily, make your transaction, and then lower it again.

- setup two bank accounts and DO NOT issue an atm card on one (or both) of the accounts. Move money around with phone/internet transfer to make major purchases on the account with atm card attached. Convenience vs security factor.

Also remember, you can make cash deposit at CDM without ATM card; you just need your account number.

- sign up for SMS alerts to get notified for any changes in account balance. Bangkok bank does not have SMS alert specifically for any change (above a user defined amount) in balance. Kasikorn and other banks do.

- use the atm that has the encrypted chip. Bangkok Bank has these and they are supposedly unskimmable, but you cannot use it in non-BKB atms that cannot read the chip.

- use atms only in trusted areas. The most trusted being atms located inside shopping malls right outside the issuing bank. Other atms in the mall are generally safe also. Atms attached to standalone bank branches and exchange booths are usually ok also. I'm ok with atms attached to 7-11 and other reputable stores in well-lit, fairly high foot traffic areas. The general rule is that the further the atm is physically from the bank branch, the easier it is for scammer to tamper with.

- in any case, always Inspect atm machine quickly, particularly the card entry point and keypad to see if you notice any loose or moving parts that shouldn't be there. Anything that looks funky disqualifies that atm for use. It may be a few km, but just go to the next one or pay the 20 baht fee to use a competitor's atm.

- protect your atm pin at all costs. shield the keypad with your body, other hand/paper/etc while you type. You should barely be able to see your own hand when you type your pin. pretend to press a few extra keys before and or after your real pin to mix things up. Not only your ATM card, but your automated phone banking is heavily dependent on that same pin #.

- Check your account balance daily via internet, phone, or atm.

- report any lost, stolen, or suspicious ATM card activity immediately. If you suspect your card is compromised, you can cancel the card and walk in to get a new one....not sure if you have to pay 300 baht again. I do know that you can get a free replacement for a worn card if you remember the pin number and bring your passbook (and maybe passport) with you.

- if you use internet banking, store your password(s) in a secure form filler like 1Password. secure that master password with a strong password (minimum 12 characters long, at least 1 lower case, 1 upper case, 1 special character, and 1 number). Avoid using 3rd party computer; use your own laptop and rent the internet connection only.

I don't check my balance every day in practice, but I do implement just about everything else. It seems like alot, but unless you are moving around a ton of money everyday, it doesn't take much time at all, especially shielding the atm keypad. I treat my ATM card as if my life depends on it, because it does. The Thai banks give out a lot of high limits for card usage and a lot of independence, but you must manage it carefully. I've seen lots of thai nationals drop bricks of 1000 baht bills for deposit at any given time either at the CDM or in the branch. It can actually get annoying if 3 or 4 larger deposit customers are back to back with only 2 clerks to count it all. I'm sure they are implementing similar techniques to prevent their accounts from being breached.

Hope this helps.

[thenervoussurgeon]

Getting your money back after a scam is quite easy if you use a British card and contact your British bank,however trying to get money back from a Thai bank i find almost immposible ,so i have two Thai banks ,one i keep most of my money in and NEVER use the card except when i draw money out in the bank with my bank book ,i then deposit the smaller amount in my day to day bank ,so if my card is cloned they wouldnt get a very large amount ,i also get an sms everytime i use the card .

[ajarnpot]

If someone is willing to teach me how to do this I am a quick learner, I will go from town to town using the cards, it sounds great, please pm me if you provide the course