Bangkok Police Arrest Bulgarians For A T M Skimming

[webfact]

Bulgarians arrested for ATM skimming

BANGKOK, Oct 19 – Acting on complaints from several European banks, Thai police arrested two Bulgarian nationals in downtown Bangkok for ATM skimming.

Technology Crime Suppression Division police arrested two Bulgarian men, identified as Rosen Georgief Evstatiev and Georgi Kirilov Gusev at Ploenchit Center in Sukhumvit Road while they attempted to withdraw cash from automated teller machines (ATM) in the building.

Police searched their rented hotel room in the Sukhumvit area and found 72 ATM cards, Bt107,000 cash, 2,200 euro banknotes, a computer and an ATM skimmer.

The arrest came as officials of Siam Commercial Bank were asked by banks in Europe to seek the arrest of the suspects who stole personal data of their clients to make fake ATM cards.

The two men used their self-made cards to withdraw cash from ATM machines in Thailand, causing several million baht in damages.

The two detainees confessed that they bought the information of bank clients from the Internet to make counterfeit ATM cards and used them to withdraw money. They said using the fake cards to withdraw money was successful in some cases and failed in others.

Thai officials initially charged the two men for violating the Thai Computer Act by colluding to produce counterfeit electronic ATM cards, causing damage to others, as well as getting or accessing personal data of other persons without their permission. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-19

[Payboy]

Practically daylight bulgary.

[chooka]

"The arrest came as officials of Siam Commercial Bank were asked by banks in Europe to seek the arrest of the suspects who stole personal data of their clients to make fake ATM cards".

Well done by the european banks for identifying and tracking down these crooks, great work.

A lot of farangs being arrested this week for major crimes, keep the garbage trucks rolling and get all this garbage out of Thailand.

[Golden Brown]

Good to see another couple of scumbags off the streets and put in their rightful place.

[phuturatica]

The actual cheek of it! I hope they get a hefty prison sentence.

[theblether]

This might sound stupid but every time I walk up to an ATM and draw cash out I'm just amazed at the technology that allows a random bank machine in Thailand or wherever to talk to my home bank in Scotland.

Life must have been so much more difficult living overseas before ATM's came online. Criminals like this are directly targeting people's lifelines, and the Thai police, the Siam bank and other banks must be commended for swooping so quickly to arrest these people as soon as they are tipped off by the overseas banks.

These criminals are targeting everyone that uses ATM's, as they are targeting our confidence in the banking system, there really is only one answer, and that's long prison sentences. They need to know that the crime just ain't worth doing the time for.

[15Peter20]

This might sound stupid but every time I walk up to an ATM and draw cash out I'm just amazed at the technology that allows a random bank machine in Thailand or wherever to talk to my home bank in Scotland.

Life must have been so much more difficult living overseas before ATM's came online. Criminals like this are directly targeting people's lifelines, and the Thai police, the Siam bank and other banks must be commended for swooping so quickly to arrest these people as soon as they are tipped off by the overseas banks.

These criminals are targeting everyone that uses ATM's, as they are targeting our confidence in the banking system, there really is only one answer, and that's long prison sentences. They need to know that the crime just ain't worth doing the time for.

Crims will be crims. There isn't only one answer. There's another one and it's better - tighten up security of people's personal banking details so they can't be stolen en masse and sold online to people like these 2 Bulgarians who can then make their own-brand range of ATM cards very easily.

[Dr Robert]

Hard to have confidence in electronic banking system in the light of this. Why is it that Europeans and others with criminal intent, who come to Thailand to do the dirty, think they can get away with it? Do they really think they can avoid detection? They are like elephants with painted red toenails hiding in a strawberry patch.

[tragickingdom]

Did the police or the author understood "Skimming". It seems that they were not skimming but filling the magnet strips of ATM sized cards with purchased information from the internet. It looks like they did not made any copies from foreigners cards through a modified ATM machine.

Thai banks are surprisingly slow by adapting to new technologies. Replace the magnet strip with a chip and the problem is mostly solved.

[dddave]

This might sound stupid but every time I walk up to an ATM and draw cash out I'm just amazed at the technology that allows a random bank machine in Thailand or wherever to talk to my home bank in Scotland.

Life must have been so much more difficult living overseas before ATM's came online. Criminals like this are directly targeting people's lifelines, and the Thai police, the Siam bank and other banks must be commended for swooping so quickly to arrest these people as soon as they are tipped off by the overseas banks.

These criminals are targeting everyone that uses ATM's, as they are targeting our confidence in the banking system, there really is only one answer, and that's long prison sentences. They need to know that the crime just ain't worth doing the time for.

I've certainly become more careful. When using my USA based cards, I ONLY use ATM's located in Bank lobbies. They are much more likely to be secure. For casual ATM withdrawals or when shopping, I only use a local debit card that never has more than B10,000 in it so my risk is limited.

Never, ever use a freestanding ATM in a dodgy location including those at 7-11

Careful also at places like Jatuchak Market and MBK because there are pickpockets who watch ATM's for people making large withdrawals.

I learned this the hard way at Jatuchak 5 years ago.

Edited October 19, 2012 by dddave

[sysardman]

Well to me these people are just as bad as the people in the illicit drug trade and if I had my way it would be the death sentence for the lot of them. I can't understand why peoples attitude it so anti drugs and yet we tolerate scum buckets like these that ruin peoples lives by stealing their hard earned savings.

Edited October 19, 2012 by sysardman

[brianP]

Are they part of the BONE HEAD gang of vulgaria?

[Scott]

A large number of off-topic posts have been deleted. If you are interested in the Red Bull heir case check these links and post accordingly:

http://www.thaivisa....ngkok-accident/

Or:

[cdnski12]

I wonder if they are Gypsies? ATM Scams are their specialty.