Bank of Thailand offers advice on avoiding scams and skims

[webfact]

Central Bank offers advice on avoiding scams and skims
Zazithorn Ruengchinda


Preuttipong Srimachan - new rules have been introduced to eliminate 'nuisance' selling by bank staff.

PHUKET: -- Ultimately, says Surasak Suwanpong the Protection Specialist for the Financial Service Authority for the Bank Of Thailand, Southern Region, the best way to avoid electronic scammers ripping money out of your bank or credit card account is to have no cards at all.

But for the vast majority in the modern world this would be impractical. So, he has a variety of advice to minimise the risks of using cards.

First, Mr Surasak said, before a meeting at The Metropole hotel to inform the press about consumer protection as it relates to banking and to launch five pamphlets advising people on how to conduct their household finances in general.

“If you do have credit or debit cards,” he said, “don’t use passwords that are easy to figure out. Thieves are well prepared and equipped with high-technology tools.

“If you hold multiple cards, don’t use the same password for all of them. Don’t use your birth date or simple numbers such as three identical digits or sequential digits,” Mr Surasak told The Phuket News on Wednesday (November 13).

“Collect all your slips afterwards and always check the balance in your account. It’s hard to tell when an ATM has been fitted with a skimmer (a device to rip off card details and passwords). So it is best to be always aware of your state of your bank accounts.

“Don’t keep passwords for e-banking on your smartphone in case you lose the phone.

“There was a case recently of a Thai professor who went for a holiday in Russia, and forgot his bag in a restaurant. By the time he realised it was missing and cancelled all his cards, all his money was gone.

“The thief used the cards immediately spending to the maximum credit limit. To add to the professor’s woes, all his cards had the same password, which he had written on the plastic sleeve containing his ATM card.

“In this case the bank was not responsible.”

But, he said, anyone having a problem related to bank fraud or scams can call 1213 during working hours – 8.30am-4.30pm or send an email to [email protected]

“We specialise in protecting consumer from financial problems such like this,” Mr Surasak said.

He also talked about con artists who manage to convince people over the phone to transfer money into their accounts.

“There’s another popular kind of scam in which you receive a call from a total stranger claiming to be some kind of government officer telling you to go immediately to an ATM and transfer money to a certain account, because you have to pay a fine of some kind.

“Do not make any transfer! This scam works because people panic when they received this kind of call. Take a deep breath and think first whether you have done anything wrong that might spark a call like this.”

During the meeting proper, Bank Of Thailand Senior Director for the Southern Region, Preuttipong Srimachan, addressed questions about “nuisance” practices by banks.

“Sometimes bank officers try to sell other services [such as insurance, loans or investment vehicles] to customers who are in the bank only to make monetary transactions. What can the BOT do about this?

“We introduced new regulations late last year. These stipulate that private sector banks must provide a separate corner for their additional services; should provide only information that the consumer is looking for and not be pushy by asking questions or making unwanted suggestions; and must always give the consumer honest answers, including the pros and cons of every service the consumer inquires about.”

The five pamphlets are in Thai only at present. For details click here.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/central-bank-offers-phuket-advice-on-avoiding-scams-and-skims-42874.php


-- Phuket News 2013-11-16

[spacemand]

Best way to not get food poisoning is not eating.

Best way to avoid card skimming is cover the keypad when you enter your PIN, change your PIN every couple of months, since there can go months between skimming and withdrawals.

The fraudsters go from placing complete fake fronts of an ATM to installing a card reader and a small camera, my best advice is to have 2 bank accounts one with your main funds and no ATM card and a secondary account with a ATM card where funds are transferred when needed or a low balance kept.

[soi41]

Some very good advice from Khun Preuttipong! Hope people will listen to him?

As for the "nuisance" sales attempts by the banks, yes they are a pain in the butt!!

During my last two visits to my bank just to make deposits, I have been offered a creditcard. When declining and asking the staff, why would I want a creditcard, when I already have a debitcard connected to an account with sufficient funds, all I get is a blank stare from the staff!

[sniffdog]

Apparently Khun Surasak (Protection Specialist for the Financial Service Authority for the Bank Of Thailand) doesn't know cards don't have passwords, they have pincodes.

Edited November 16, 2013 by sniffdog

[Bluespunk]

Central Bank offers advice on avoiding scams and skims

Stay at home

[klauskunkel]

“There’s another popular kind of scam in which you receive a call from a total stranger claiming to be some kind of government officer telling you to go immediately to an ATM and transfer money to a certain account, because you have to pay a fine of some kind.

“Do not make any transfer! This scam works because people panic when they received this kind of call.

Oh no bozo, this scam works because of the deeply ingrained, unquestioning obedience to authority so prevalent in Thai culture.

[kannot]

How do we stop bank staff stealing our money and are the banks going to refund stolen money?

[yougivemebaby]

Best way to not get food poisoning is not eating.

Best way to avoid card skimming is cover the keypad when you enter your PIN, change your PIN every couple of months, since there can go months between skimming and withdrawals.

The fraudsters go from placing complete fake fronts of an ATM to installing a card reader and a small camera, my best advice is to have 2 bank accounts one with your main funds and no ATM card and a secondary account with a ATM card where funds are transferred when needed or a low balance kept.

1000% agree. I transfer fund JUST before I go to the ATM or make a purchase. I keep 100 baht in this account. There is never any other reason why money should be transferred out of my other account. I never buy anything with it. It's brilliant and very simple. Everyone should be doing this. K.I.S.S.

[julemanden]

Best way to not get food poisoning is not eating.

Best way to avoid card skimming is cover the keypad when you enter your PIN, change your PIN every couple of months, since there can go months between skimming and withdrawals.

The fraudsters go from placing complete fake fronts of an ATM to installing a card reader and a small camera, my best advice is to have 2 bank accounts one with your main funds and no ATM card and a secondary account with a ATM card where funds are transferred when needed or a low balance kept.

To cover the keypad is not always enough, they also make fake keypads.... But the rest i agree with you 100%

[worgeordie]

Thai Professor,had the pin written on the plastic holder

with his cards inside !, and he is supposed to be one of

the smarter Thai population,then to say that compounds

it even more as sure he will not get his money back from

the bank for that reason,you are not supposed to aid the

criminals.

I would also advise anyone who has a long term fixed

account with a few bob in it to check it regularly ,as

the robbers can work INSIDE the bank too.

regards Worgeordie

[yougivemebaby]

“There’s another popular kind of scam in which you receive a call from a total stranger claiming to be some kind of government officer telling you to go immediately to an ATM and transfer money to a certain account, because you have to pay a fine of some kind.

“Do not make any transfer! This scam works because people panic when they received this kind of call.

Oh no bozo, this scam works because of the deeply ingrained, unquestioning obedience to authority so prevalent in Thai culture.

Nice attitude for people trying to help you.

[Torrens54]

Excellent advice from Khun Surasak and a very well written story from the Phuket News.

Gives me new hope for Journalism in this country.

[pistachios]

Most advices are useless against card skimming. Best way to protect oneself against that is to only use ATMs inside banks (even ATMs just outside the bank have been compromised!) and to use two accounts, filling up the one linked to the card at the last moment.

And how about using cards with chips? They are much much harder to hack than the old magnetic strip cards. We have been using them in France for more than 25 years, it's not new tech anymore. What are they waiting for?

[HerbalEd]

Seem very stupid that an ATM security code can only be four numbers.

Edited November 16, 2013 by HerbalEd

[hawker9000]

Seem very stupid that an ATM security code can only be four numbers.

'Wouldn't really matter much if they were longer as not many people are losing money from ATMs due to guessed PINs. From the various suggestions I've seen, the dual-account scheme seems the best way to protect yourself. Simply being able to disable one's own ATM access online except to make a planned withdrawal would be a big help, but I assume banks here would tremble at the thought of the "break-in" period involved with such an innovation. (Imagine depositers being locked out by the thousands due to glitches...)

[klauskunkel]

“There’s another popular kind of scam in which you receive a call from a total stranger claiming to be some kind of government officer telling you to go immediately to an ATM and transfer money to a certain account, because you have to pay a fine of some kind.

“Do not make any transfer! This scam works because people panic when they received this kind of call.

Oh no bozo, this scam works because of the deeply ingrained, unquestioning obedience to authority so prevalent in Thai culture.

Nice attitude for people trying to help you.

You are right...felt grumpy this morning, has passed now...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Keeping the bulk of one's funds in a Thai bank account WITHOUT any associated ATM card is obviously going to protect against ATM fraud.

But just as obviously, it's NOT going to protect again internal fraud/theft by bank employees or those associated with them, even for a no-card account.

That's why setting low daily limits for transfers and other kinds of transactions, and if the bank offers it, email or SMS notifications of any account transactions are additional steps to take.

IMHO, bank and ATM fraud here is just far to common for comfort.

[Benmart]

Theres another popular kind of scam in which you receive a call from a total stranger claiming to be some kind of government officer telling you to go immediately to an ATM and transfer money to a certain account, because you have to pay a fine of some kind.

Do not make any transfer! This scam works because people panic when they received this kind of call.

Oh no bozo, this scam works because of the deeply ingrained, unquestioning obedience to authority so prevalent in Thai culture.

Name calling is often due to a limited vocabulary or the inability to express oneself in more civil terms.

[FarangKino]

Some very good advice from Khun Preuttipong! Hope people will listen to him?

As for the "nuisance" sales attempts by the banks, yes they are a pain in the butt!!

During my last two visits to my bank just to make deposits, I have been offered a creditcard. When declining and asking the staff, why would I want a creditcard, when I already have a debitcard connected to an account with sufficient funds, all I get is a blank stare from the staff!

You are surley kidding! The guy needs to be awarded the neanderthal of the year award. And the Thai banking system needs to move out of 19th Century!!! In most civilised countries, they are encouraging everyone to go cashless and the security, although not totally infallable, is there!

Why do these people come to Thailand to do these scams, when surley Europe, America or Australia would give biigger returns - the reason is of course that the security systems here were most likely written on 1st generation IBMs - with less computing power than the smart phone in your pocket - pathetic!

[AngelsLariat]

And how about using cards with chips? They are much much harder to hack than the old magnetic strip cards. We have been using them in France for more than 25 years, it's not new tech anymore. What are they waiting for?

Bangkok Bank offers ATM cards with chips, though they also offer older tech cards with only the magnetic strip.

[AngelsLariat]

Theres another popular kind of scam in which you receive a call from a total stranger claiming to be some kind of government officer telling you to go immediately to an ATM and transfer money to a certain account, because you have to pay a fine of some kind.

Do not make any transfer! This scam works because people panic when they received this kind of call.

Oh no bozo, this scam works because of the deeply ingrained, unquestioning obedience to authority so prevalent in Thai culture.

Name calling is often due to a limited vocabulary or the inability to express oneself in more civil terms.

Not shit, Sherlock.

[DGIE]

If possible, I don't also want the debit plus card which can be swiped when buying something. If lost or pick-pocketed, even if they don't know the pin they can still get the money.

There are groups that they befriend people and even make them boyfriends. they put sleeping stuff to the drink then when the man is asleep, they get the ATM and go to shopping.

[Briandajew]

I have to agree with the advice - I have been here over 10 years, and the lack of any responsibility that has gone on with the Thai banks over this sort of theft over the past 10 years has made me a firm believer that to have an ATM card here is almost like playing roulette!

I would never have one, (If you read some of the stories - one particular book comes to mind about the Farang P.I - that was able to get access to peoples bank details by buying the bank teller a box of chocolates springs to mind) I feel a bit sorry for anyone just coming out here and expecting that banks here are like they are in REAL countries....but anyone that uses an ATM card after hearing the stories over the years, and if they have lived here for any ammount of time....well let the buyer beware!

They don't give a damn!

[unanimosity]

Apparently Khun Surasak (Protection Specialist for the Financial Service Authority for the Bank Of Thailand) doesn't know cards don't have passwords, they have pincodes.

Online banking requires a password.

Edited November 16, 2013 by unanimosity

[unanimosity]

I have to agree with the advice - I have been here over 10 years, and the lack of any responsibility that has gone on with the Thai banks over this sort of theft over the past 10 years has made me a firm believer that to have an ATM card here is almost like playing roulette!

I would never have one, (If you read some of the stories - one particular book comes to mind about the Farang P.I - that was able to get access to peoples bank details by buying the bank teller a box of chocolates springs to mind) I feel a bit sorry for anyone just coming out here and expecting that banks here are like they are in REAL countries....but anyone that uses an ATM card after hearing the stories over the years, and if they have lived here for any ammount of time....well let the buyer beware!

They don't give a dam_n!

Som tum maybe, but a box of chocolates? You made that up didn't you?

[Mampara]

Actually we got the bull by the tail here.

Firstly, the statement is a sly move for the banks to avoid any responsibility for missing funds from your account.

Secondly, it is the banks responsibility when offering a service like ATM's to the public to insure that the machines are tamper proof, well protected as well as in a secure place.

Thirdly, if they are renting space from a shopping center to place their ATM,s then it is the responsibility of the management of the shopping center to provide adequate security for the machines.

So u can clam from the bank, the bank in turn can claim from the shopping center for not providing a secure service, and everybody can claim from the insurance, that is unless u belong to a "Micky Mouse Bank" do you?

[tragickingdom]

Easy passwords? ATM's have just a pin of 4 numbers, the skimmer copies the strip and films the code; as Thai banks are too lazy and uninterested to change the strip into a chipped debit or creditcard and replace their old fashioned ATM's and Credit Card terminals.

And Why should they? Their incompetence is not punished. If one of their ATM's or pay terminals is compromised the customer still picks up the tab and not the bank.

Maybe the chap should go back to school or pay himself for a ticket to Western Europe or Japan to see how you get the number of skim and scam victims down with 80-90%. And for those who are conned because they are greedy the rule is that an honest man can't be conned.

[tragickingdom]

Actually we got the bull by the tail here.

Firstly, the statement is a sly move for the banks to avoid any responsibility for missing funds from your account.

Secondly, it is the banks responsibility when offering a service like ATM's to the public to insure that the machines are tamper proof, well protected as well as in a secure place.

Thirdly, if they are renting space from a shopping center to place their ATM,s then it is the responsibility of the management of the shopping center to provide adequate security for the machines.

So u can clam from the bank, the bank in turn can claim from the shopping center for not providing a secure service, and everybody can claim from the insurance, that is unless u belong to a "Micky Mouse Bank" do you?

Unfortunately, it might be the bank's responsibility, but they still do not compensate their customers. They often do not even compensate when a bank manager has stolen money from customer's accounts. What did you think Thailand's banking system was other than a money laundering organisation for politicians and organised crime. Thailand's banking system doesn't care about their customers that much, time stood still in Thailand just like in the US for half a century. The Checks could have been replaced 20 years ago like in most developed countries, the security could have been approved ten years ago, telbanking should have been omnipresent 15 years ago.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

If possible, I don't also want the debit plus card which can be swiped when buying something. If lost or pick-pocketed, even if they don't know the pin they can still get the money.

There are groups that they befriend people and even make them boyfriends. they put sleeping stuff to the drink then when the man is asleep, they get the ATM and go to shopping.

FYI, with most Thai banks, and certainly the more common ones used by farangs, it's possible to self-select the daily limits allowed on the card for point of sale (POS) purchases (where no PIN is required, just swipe and sign.)

Usually, among the available daily limit choices is ZERO, meaning that that ATM card won't be allowed to function for swipe and sign purchases, but will still allow ATM cash withdrawals with a PIN code.

I have set all of my Thai bank ATM cards to ZERO for the daily limit for POS transactions -- a big change from the usually quite high daily POS limits that the Thai banks put on their cards by default.

Doing that won't protect from ATM fraud or card skimming. But it will prevent anyone from doing anything with your card unless they have somehow managed to obtain your PIN code.

[Ulic]

After reading the first couple of lines you know the guy is an idiot. Of course he forgot the simplest way to

avoid theft from your account is don't open an account. Not having a card will of course stop people from

cloning it. But the banks and there employees are thieves as well so I recommend not having an account.

If everyone did this Thai banks would quickly solve the problems. Of course my suggestion is hyperbole

unfortunately his is not.