Police Warn Of Hacked Samui Atm Machines

[Boater]

The local police are warning the public to be wary of the so-called ATM hacker gang which to date has looted more than Bt3 million.

Pol. Lt. Col. Phitsanu Biakaew, Koh Samui tourist police superintendent, said about 19 people, both Thais and tourists, lost money from their ATM accounts.

An investigation launched in several ATM booths in Chaweng and Maenam revealed the hackers use ATM machines maintained by Kasikorn Bank.

http://samuiexpress.net/home/news/local-news/police-report/759-police-warn-of-hacked-samui-atm-machines

[churchill]

Has anyone been arrested yet ? ... since this report is from November I assume police/banks have had time to make ATM's safe ..

[LaoPo]

I wonder if these are Asian/Thai gangs or the infamous Rumanian gangs who do the same in Europe?

Personally, I ALWAYS cover my typing hand with the other, no matter where I am in the world but I realize there are also scamming devices who "feel/detect" the numbers you type.

Scary stuff

Edited January 4, 2013 by LaoPo

[noob7]

What is it, that makes Kasikorn the favorite ATM for the scam?

Old design? Connections?

On Phuket it's the same.

Maybe officials should look at this fact, a bit?

[notmyself]

Hackers lol. Nothing to do with hacking at all! It's a skimmer (scammer?) which is a card reader placed over the ATM card entry point. When you insert you card it reads the details off the magnetic strip before it enters the machine. I've seen a number of ATM's which display a picture of what the front of the ATM should look like when you enter your card. If it doesn't look like the picture then don't enter your PIN, press cancel. Maybe Kasikorn don't display a picture which makes tier ATMs a better bet.

I was told by my bank April last year that my card had been cloned but I didn't lose a penny. My account is a premium account (HSBC) which means I get a very good exchange rate and don't have to pay for transactions. It also gives me 24 hour calling so mine (ATM card) is set up so I cannot take out any money unless I text first. Someone then calls me back from the UK within 60 seconds asking how much I will be taking out. I then have 10 minutes to take out that exact amount (no more or less) before I have to text again.

I actually have an account with Kasikorn which I keep a small amount in, just in case I need cash and don't have my phone... that kind of thing. Even though HSBC has left Thailand I pay nothing for money transfers from the UK and it will be there in 10-15 minutes. I can also walk into practically any bank in the world, produce my passport, and walk out of there 30 minutes later with 200,000 Baht or similar value in local currency depending where I am.

[samui543]

I can concor,

one of my tenants was about to send money from her kasokorn account to her SCB account. to make an easy payment for rent. Turns out she has been wiped out with numerous withdrawls. only uses account for online when needed.

Catch these C. unts ASAP

[cbrer]

Wow, all the news coming out of Samui just feels you with broucher-esque Thailand, doesn't it.

I'd have to be dragged there via a time machine. Nothing after 1980 please.

[notmyself]

Arent you a lucky boy,

Luck? Luck doesn't exist, it's a label given by people who consider outcomes to be favorable.

I'm just passing on knowledge and experience to other humans in the hope it may be of some use. I have a lock on my door which I can choose to use or not use for the same price. I choose to use this lock even though it is very unlikely someone will test it. Am I silly, lucky or prudent?

A TV series in the UK tried to educate the population by way of lampooning them. Here is one 2 minute segment.

Edited January 4, 2013 by notmyself

[phetphet]

That's why I only ever use ATM's that are sited at banks. Never the stand alone ones, or those sited outside shops.

I always try to use them when the bank is open, and have a look, feel around the slot where you put the card, and check the keypad, to make sure a false one hasn't been placed over the original.

Just trying to minimise the risk of being scammed.

[Tropicalevo]

Wow, all the news coming out of Samui just feels you with broucher-esque Thailand, doesn't it.

I'd have to be dragged there via a time machine. Nothing after 1980 please.

What a silly comment on a news item describing a crime that has only just arrived on Samui.

This same crime is rife throughout the rest of the 'electronic' world - and has been for years.

From comments like yours - I am glad that you are staying away. (The 1980's died out in the last century in case you had not noticed.)

[mufcsamui]

SCB as do most other banks offer an instant text service to your mobile informing you every time a withdrawal is taken from your account.

[Sandman77]

In Europe visa cards stanards has been upgraded with latest emv chip !

Cloning now impossible when the checksum verification is wrong

But with a validility of 10 years of a thai visa card, it could proberbly take long time !

A good bisness for ATM manufactor, to upgrade the mashines, but the don't do

The time in future will come you don't pay with your card use the smartphone or fingerprint!

My bank in Germany replace visa card in 3 year 2 time to upgrade to latest security standards !

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app