Bangkok: Russian arrested in ATM card scam

[webfact]

Russian arrested in ATM card scam
By Digital Media



BANGKOK, July 10 - A Russian man was arrested for scam of using pirated ATM cards to withdraw cash from cash machines in Thailand.

Police said Sergey Afanasyev, 51-year-old suspect, confessed that he used Thailand as a venue to commit crime, for he fit is easy to enter and leave the country and there are many ATM machines here.

Among the seized items were 129 electronic data cards, a skimmer and a notebook computer.

The arrest occurred following a previous apprehension of a foreigner with a similar foreign credit card scam.

Police said there are many scam groups for this type of crime owing to many ATM machines in the country.

The Russian suspect was apprehended because he had been noticed at a particular ATM machine six times, using many different cards at one time to withdraw cash. Suspecting him, police searched and then arrested him.

Mr Afanasyev said he had entered Thailand only recently and claimed it was his first time here. He withdrew funds near Bangkok department stores at Siam Paragon, Amarin Plaza and the Emporium. He made six cash withdrawal visits to each machine.

The man said he did the crime with friends overseas, using passwords and foreign card codes registered in the European Union sent to him by his gang members.

Each electronic card was scanned through a skimmer to transfer data before the card is used to withdraw cash.

The suspect was initially charged with making counterfeit electronic cards. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-07-10

[lee b]

Skim him to the nearest Jail. Dont press go or steal $200.

[nachiket]

The man said he did the crime with friends overseas, using passwords and foreign card codes registered in the European Union sent to him by his gang members.

Gang!! This word sounds great in this tech. era where tech gigs prefer to work alone...

[stoneyboy]

Yes I just see the report on the news,was wondering why he was in possession of Argos cards,do they have Argos in Russia.?

[Billy The Kid]

Silly to do a crime in Thailand where there is a small cell with 50 prisoners crammed into it and without a Air Con or a Fan.

[Payboy]

Police said there are many scam groups for this type of crime owing to many ATM machines in the country.

Does that mean a crackdown on retirees?

[TomTao]

Another one, how many more are going to come, and with so many coming here to commit this crime, how many are not being caught?

[noitom]

11 of them got into the photo opp including the one foreign looking guy in the black shirt. One would wonder how the Thai police do their work when so many are always available for photo ops and recreations.

[NeverSure]

"Police said there are many scam groups for this type of crime owing to many ATM machines in the country."

I thought they were called farangs.

[iluvbeaches]

Anybody notice that every suspected criminal apprehended in Thailand confesses? Must have some great detectives like on TV that can outsmart the suspects.

[LuckyLew]

Not a very smart thief or perhaps just a lazy one

There are ATM machines every 50 yards in Bangkok

This persons decided to use the same one 6 times in a row

Wonder how long and how much he could of gotten away with

if he had just a little bit of brain power

[mr78]

Anybody notice that every suspected criminal apprehended in Thailand confesses? Must have some great detectives like on TV that can outsmart the suspects.

I've noticed this too and I find it very strange. What is the point of confessing, is it that they get reduced centences or what? If I ever sunk till a level where I made a living as a thief and got caught by the law I would deny everything until proven guilty, everything else is just plain stupid...

[chainarong]

This scum bag's motive was to use Thailand as headquarters for he's planned operations, this happens all over the place , not only Thailand , including my country OZ, they seem to originate quiet often from Malaysia in Oz , so nothing new here, only something new for our Russian friend when the door slams behind him and he's behind he will need to protect to survive.

[Andre0720]

It reads "Russian".

Must be a strange typo..

[technologybytes]

He won't be in jail very long. He may have used Thailand as a venue but he has stolen nothing from Thai people or Thai banks.

[xen]

_{Just wondering who the tall guy in the black shirt is (second from the left) and where he fits in?}

[unanimosity]

Is the hub of sex tourism reputation being transended by the hub of ATM fraud tourism?

[monty1412]

Let me see.. how can I make sure I stand out and be noticed.

I know I will use each machine 6 times with different cards each time.

Surely this guy should be jailed for stupidity...

If you were going to do this you would use each ATM only once per few days... there are enough around to keep you busy.. use one near Nana grab skytrain to MBK, put on a cap and glasses use one there, have lunch grab skytrain to asoke, diifernet cap and shirt no glasses, use one there.. spot of shopping in Emporium, across the road with no cap glasses and different shirt, use one there , finally back to Cowboy for a bit of fun, go to machine there.. done for day .. next day its the Arabic look with different teatowel head dress

for each machine....

Its not that hard to be a bit intelligent re this....

Plus also you get to play dress up.. perhaps the Chief Sitting Bull full headers would be a touch over the top but hell put on a baseball cap you become American, put on a arabic headers.. saudi... a fez Moroccan... even a skull cap.. Ooi better I should go to a different machine....

Is the Russian tourist trade actually a Russian government plot to increase the average IQ number of the remaining Russians ??

[aechzen]

143.400.000 gang members ?

[TomTao]

11 of them got into the photo opp including the one foreign looking guy in the black shirt. One would wonder how the Thai police do their work when so many are always available for photo ops and recreations.

The foreign looking guy could be one of the many police from around the world who work with the BiB. FBI, AFP and many other agencies are here, as far as I know, every embassy and consulate have representatives of thier respective countries federal law enforcement agencies stationed here, as well as in most, if not all countries where they have an embassy or consulate.

[swifty5x5]

The man said he did the crime with friends overseas, using passwords and foreign card codes registered in the European Union sent to him by his gang members.

Gang!! This word sounds great in this tech. era where tech gigs prefer to work alone...

Me thinks you do not know what your talking about.

[hawker9000]

Anybody notice that every suspected criminal apprehended in Thailand confesses? Must have some great detectives like on TV that can outsmart the suspects.

I've noticed this too and I find it very strange. What is the point of confessing, is it that they get reduced centences or what?

Yup. Half off I think. 'Considered an act of mercy for the sentencer and a positive step for the sentencee in one's road back to goodness - at least I've often heard that's the rationale. Whatever the reason, the practice is definitely in place. (And I think the concept has been proposed in the UK!) It doesn't make crime VICTIMS happy, esp. in cases of serious crime, but if you're guilty and circumstances are such that you don't have any reasonable expectation of acquittal, it's almost a no-brainer.

Edited July 11, 2013 by hawker9000

[Suradit69]

Silly to do a crime in Thailand where there is a small cell with 50 prisoners crammed into it and without a Air Con or a Fan.

Probably just like his flat back in Mother Russia.

Edited July 11, 2013 by Suradit69

[skyaslimit]

_{Just wondering who the tall guy in the black shirt is (second from the left) and where he fits in?}

As there are many foreign criminals using Thailand for their criminal activities, there is a group of foreigners of many nationalaties working with local authorities to curb it in different ways, this guy is one of them and the color of the shirt is navy blue with a police logo on chest.

[Traveling Sailor]

Yes, he was arrested at the Ibis Bangkok Nana hotel, 41 Sukhumvit Road, Soi 4, Klongtoey. My GF and I were staying in the same hotel when the arrest happened. Lovely place.

[HalfSquat]

Yup. Half off I think. 'Considered an act of mercy for the sentencer and a positive step for the sentencee in one's road back to goodness - at least I've often heard that's the rationale. Whatever the reason, the practice is definitely in place. (And I think the concept has been proposed in the UK!) It doesn't make crime VICTIMS happy, esp. in cases of serious crime, but if you're guilty and circumstances are such that you don't have any reasonable expectation of acquittal, it's almost a no-brainer.

Its been the same in the UK for as long as I can remember.

Even peados get a reduced sentence for pleading guilty, even if done so at the last minute:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jun/17/stuart-hall-jailed-indecent-assault-girls

It makes sense as it saves time and money and prevents the victims from having to go through the ordeal again and being aggressively cross examined in court.

Do they sell these skimmers at Pantip?

[AgentOkeyDokey]

Let me see.. how can I make sure I stand out and be noticed.

I know I will use each machine 6 times with different cards each time.

Surely this guy should be jailed for stupidity...

If you were going to do this you would use each ATM only once per few days... there are enough around to keep you busy.. use one near Nana grab skytrain to MBK, put on a cap and glasses use one there, have lunch grab skytrain to asoke, diifernet cap and shirt no glasses, use one there.. spot of shopping in Emporium, across the road with no cap glasses and different shirt, use one there , finally back to Cowboy for a bit of fun, go to machine there.. done for day .. next day its the Arabic look with different teatowel head dress

for each machine....

Its not that hard to be a bit intelligent re this....

Plus also you get to play dress up.. perhaps the Chief Sitting Bull full headers would be a touch over the top but hell put on a baseball cap you become American, put on a arabic headers.. saudi... a fez Moroccan... even a skull cap.. Ooi better I should go to a different machine....

Is the Russian tourist trade actually a Russian government plot to increase the average IQ number of the remaining Russians ??

Spot on funny mate.

[Monkeyrobot]

Yes, he was arrested at the Ibis Bangkok Nana hotel, 41 Sukhumvit Road, Soi 4, Klongtoey. My GF and I were staying in the same hotel when the arrest happened. Lovely place.

That's a popular russian hang out.

[skyaslimit]

11 of them got into the photo opp including the one foreign looking guy in the black shirt. One would wonder how the Thai police do their work when so many are always available for photo ops and recreations. 

 

The foreign looking guy could be one of the many police from around the world who work with the BiB. FBI, AFP and many other agencies are here, as far as I know, every embassy and consulate have representatives of thier respective countries federal law enforcement agencies stationed here, as well as in most, if not all countries where they have an embassy or consulate.

True, there are many helping hands including foreigners.

[sirchai]

Sees that the second on the left had arrested him Well done....