New ATM card skimmer found in Chiang Mai

[webfact]

New ATM card skimmer found in Chiang Mai
The Nation

CHIANG MAI: -- Chiang Mai Tourist Police yesterday warned the public that a new kind of ATM card skimmer had been installed on an ATM machine in the downtown market area to steal people's information and ultimately their cash.

Pol Captain Amorn Sopa said a bank had alerted police after it found a small chip along with a camera attached to the card slot at one of its ATM machines.

This chip, which allows criminals to steal information, was not very visible to the naked eye as it had been painted over to match the machine's body, he said.

A police stakeout to try to catch the offender was unsuccessful as nobody showed up to check on the machine, so officers removed the skimmer and camera, and added the information to its database.

Another bank also alerted police that some customers had complained about large sums of money being withdrawn from their account, Amorn said.

So, police studied the security-camera footage and detected an Arab or a fair-skinned South Asian person withdrawing large sums. Police suspect a foreign tourist bought counterfeit cards with stolen information cheaply online and was using it to fund their travel in Thailand.

Amorn has urged the public to alert the police and banks of any suspicious activity at ATMs.


-- The Nation 2014-01-11

[BKKBrit]

Jeesh...a picture of the thing before they removed it would have been useful to educate the public what to look out for...

[RickFarang]

"A police stakeout to try to catch the offender was unsuccessful as nobody showed up to check on the machine, so officers removed the skimmer and camera, and added the information to its database."

Why do the police need to keep a database of ATM cards and their PINs?

[Windy]

"A police stakeout to try to catch the offender was unsuccessful as nobody showed up to check on the machine, so officers removed the skimmer and camera, and added the information to its database."

Why do the police need to keep a database of ATM cards and their PINs?

Where does it say the police are keeping a database of ATM cards and their PIN's

[iancnx]

Wherever possible use ATM machines located inside a bank!

[bushwacker]

I would think with the very low salaries paid and the very low productivity, that it would be a good idea, for the Banks to pay "Rovers" to check all of the cash machines say 3 times a day. Go and check, clean up, smile.

There is lots of staff available for this work. I chatted with a friend at a bank the other day. She told me that she has to work very late every night to balance. I laughed and asked her why, as everything is done via computer, there should be no balancing required. She tells me that the computer is for the head office guys in Bkk, but in the provinces most of the stuff has to be duplicated on paper and filed in case the customer comes back with a problem.

Guess, they do not understand the concept of "copy" on the task bar!

[DiamondKing]

For those that dont know what a skimmer looks like

IT LOOKS LIKE THE ATM MACHINE you wont see any difference basically its the metal keyboard which slots over the real one so I always check for Cameras and always put my finger under the keyboard and pull it up I also check for fading on the buttons too if its new that will make me check more

[A1Str8]

I always have this urge to squeeze the life out of these little parasites, that try to steal other people's sh_t.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Ulic]

What I really want to know is if the bank that reported to police the complaints by customers that reported large

sums missing from there accounts replaced the missing funds.

[pacovl46]

"A police stakeout to try to catch the offender was unsuccessful as nobody showed up to check on the machine, so officers removed the skimmer and camera, and added the information to its database."

Why do the police need to keep a database of ATM cards and their PINs?

They probably meant they added the new skimmer to their database.

[Farma]

I would think with the very low salaries paid and the very low productivity, that it would be a good idea, for the Banks to pay "Rovers" to check all of the cash machines say 3 times a day. Go and check, clean up, smile.

After that big skimming problem in BKK last november I noticed a few banks had staff positioned outside monitoring ATM machines accessed from outside the bank.

[Ghostnigel]

What I really want to know is if the bank that reported to police the complaints by customers that reported large

sums missing from there accounts replaced the missing funds.

Hahahaha....hahahaha!!!........such a good joke...!!?..hahaha, go on, tell us another one....hee hee hee hee....sorry my jaw is aching...

[circusman]

I always have this urge to squeeze the life out of these little parasites, that try to steal other people's sh_t. Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

same goes for me for the people that have to tell us how they sent the message.

[Benmart]

"A police stakeout to try to catch the offender was unsuccessful as nobody showed up to check on the machine, so officers removed the skimmer and camera, and added the information to its database."

Why do the police need to keep a database of ATM cards and their PINs?

I don't see where is says anything about ATM cards and PINs. The information refered to may be the details concerning the camera, chip, setup on the ATM itself, suspect info, etc.

[Benmart]

I always have this urge to squeeze the life out of these little parasites, that try to steal other people's sh_t. Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

same goes for me for the people that have to tell us how they sent the message.

Alternately, one doesn't have to read how it was sent. And then there is this button called power off...

Easy Does It.

[DaamNaam]

Jeesh...a picture of the thing before they removed it would have been useful to educate the public what to look out for...

Exactly, and or where it was.

This warning is about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.

[louse1953]

What I really want to know is if the bank that reported to police the complaints by customers that reported large

sums missing from there accounts replaced the missing funds.

Not likely.

[DGIE]

Wherever possible use ATM machines located inside a bank!

say, outside the bank. Inside is the office

[DGIE]

I would think with the very low salaries paid and the very low productivity, that it would be a good idea, for the Banks to pay "Rovers" to check all of the cash machines say 3 times a day. Go and check, clean up, smile.

After that big skimming problem in BKK last november I noticed a few banks had staff positioned outside monitoring ATM machines accessed from outside the bank.

Thieves don't do that exactly outside the bank. Of course they do skimming in places away from banks

[NancyL]

Quite often there is a security guard who hangs around the ATM machines outside the door of a bank -- at least during working hours.

Those are my preferred ATM machines. I doubt there will be skimmer installed in an ATM machine during those hours.

[iancnx]

Wherever possible use ATM machines located inside a bank!

say, outside the bank. Inside is the office

NO I say inside the bank, where the tellers are and customer service representatives. The offices behind the counter is generally a restricted area..... Everyone knows that! Where are you from? The Wild West?

[NancyL]

It's unusual here to find an ATM machine located inside a bank -- at best you'll find one just outside the bank with the bank security guard keeping a watchful eye.

Sent from my dying HP Pavilion Entertainment PC as it was gasping for breath due to its overheating graphics card (somebody forgot to plug in the cooling baseunit!)

[andreandre]

Wherever possible use ATM machines located inside a bank!

say, outside the bank. Inside is the office

NO I say inside the bank, where the tellers are and customer service representatives. The offices behind the counter is generally a restricted area..... Everyone knows that! Where are you from? The Wild West?

So ,when the bank is closed, you can't access their ATM..sorta defeats the purpose of them does it not?

[iancnx]

Wherever possible use ATM machines located inside a bank!

say, outside the bank. Inside is the office

NO I say inside the bank, where the tellers are and customer service representatives. The offices behind the counter is generally a restricted area..... Everyone knows that! Where are you from? The Wild West?

So ,when the bank is closed, you can't access their ATM..sorta defeats the purpose of them does it not?

I agree with you.... Very inconvenient. I am lucky though I have time on my hands to plan when I need to go to the ATM and invariably it is during the day. I just don't want to be one of the growing statistics

[namatjira]

using an atm attached to a bank has advantage, for one, if your card gets swallowed it can be retrieved, stand alone machines

get cleared once a week and the cards get destroyed, also wise to just cover your pin enter with your hand as this negates the sometimes fitted pin spy camera from above, also the look over the shoulder con, stand alone machines are a little dangerous. also at a bank atm the security cameras can be viewed straight away, caution is needed as if somebody cleans out your account there is no bank refunds here

[4evermaat]

It's unusual here to find an ATM machine located inside a bank -- at best you'll find one just outside the bank with the bank security guard keeping a watchful eye.

Sent from my dying HP Pavilion Entertainment PC as it was gasping for breath due to its overheating graphics card (somebody forgot to plug in the cooling baseunit!)

Inside a shopping center or the best combination: an atm located near the bank inside a mall or shopping center. Those are probably the safest atms.

As others have hinted, a quick inspection of the atm condition (loose/broken keypad, loose/hidden panels, strange attatchments, etc.) and shielding the view of the keypad with your free hand and body when typing pin.

I'm surprised how many people casually type their pin for others to see. I stand very close to the machine while typing to discourage peeping toms from looking.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[dutchchiangmai]

Covering up the number pad while you type in your 4 digit code with your hand is a very effective way of tackling this problem.

[sfokevin]

Jeesh...a picture of the thing before they removed it would have been useful to educate the public what to look out for...

Edited January 25, 2014 by sfokevin

[piewarmer]

The newest device can read all your card details from a metre away while it's in your wallet.

That's the new cards with the chip in the middle.

[heybruce]

The newest device can read all your card details from a metre away while it's in your wallet.

That's the new cards with the chip in the middle.

Can you provide a source to confirm this information?