ATMs on Bangkok's Wireless Road hacked, card users say

[planetdweller]

There is one rule that any ATM user must adhere to so as to minimise "Skimming". For the hundreth time please note:- "Cover the key pad when entering your PIN number" (

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Good suggestion , take every precaution these days. The hackiverse is getting more and more sophisticated in their ability to track and use pins , etc. No doubt there is someone spying on probably the majority of BKK ( and other ) ATM keypads with powerful equipment.

[elzach]

One has to assume that the ATM machine in Kiev, or wherever, needs to perform a communication to 'Visa Central' or somewhere distant, to determine that there are funds available and a valid PIN has been entered.

Surely a transaction 20 minutes earlier, some 10,000 km (or less) distant, should raise a flag and block the secondary withdrawal attempt.

Or is the system so dumb as to not treat such occurrences as odd, or it doesn't even bother checking anything.

( I know for a fact they seem quick to block withdrawals if you make too many in a day or there are insufficient funds..... is it a case of the banks protecting themselves more than the customers?)

I should be able to supply my bank with a yes/no list of countries where I may or may not use my ATM card.

No, I doubt if I will be going to Afghanistan or Pakistan any-time soon!

That's exactly what citibank does. I have several countries whitelisted and everything else is blacklisted.

This post also raises an important point regarding keeping your money in Thai banks. My money is kept in Australia, and thus under Australian law the bank is responsible if some of it goes missing. What are the laws in Thailand and will the banks give you any protection?

Also keeping any significant amount of money in an account that can be accessed via ATM / Debit card is very careless.

Exactly. So much for all the posts about desperately opening Thai bank accounts.