ATM Scammers are Still Out There

[Pakaty]

Last night at 8 PM I made an ATM withdraw At Bangkok Bank in Kamala. As I got on my scooter a man walked by and made an exaggerated display of looking at the ATM, then turned around and said something to me in French. I just looked blankly at him and he asked if I spoke French or English and I answered English. He then told me that I left money in the ATM. I immediately knew what was up. I looked at the ATM and saw no money and I had also counted my money before I put it in my wallet as I always do so I knew I had gotten the correct amount. Only reason for him to be saying I had left money in there when I knew I hadn't...SCAM. So I asked him to show me and he said I was crazy. I said I don't see the money and asked him to show me again and repeated that I was crazy. I then told him I knew what he was up to and said he was a scammer. I took him by the arm with one hand and pulled out my phone with the other and said lets wait for the police. He started yelling f*** you a few times and ran across the street toward the fruit stand in front of where the Wed. & Sat. market is held. I jumped on my bike went to Big C where I had seen a cop before I hit the ATM. I told him there was an ATM scammer he jumped in his truck and followed me back to the scene. Less than two minutes had passed but I could not spot the guy.

I gave the cop a description. He was dark complected like Arabic about 30 yrs. 150-160 lbs. short straight dark hair all white t-shirt Black/grey shorts with a lite colored # hash pattern. We exchanged phone numbers and he noted the time and said he would check the video on the ATM.

Although he never got a chance to pull off the scam, I'm 100% sure that it was his intention. Maybe he had hand held skimmer or something. He also had what appeared to be an empty black bi-fold wallet that he was playing with when he first approached me flipping it open and closed. Every time he flipped it open it looked like a new empty wallet.

If it were not for reading similar stories on Thai Visa there is a good chance that I would not have realized what was happening. That is why I feel compelled to share my experience and remind everyone to be on their guard.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Pakaty

[eezergood]

Did you get his picture?

[Pakaty]

Did you get his picture?

I did not even think of that at the time. My phone is so cheap the pictures are not worth a dam_n anyway and he ran away when I pulled it out to call the police.

[HooHaa]

yeah, this is pretty much a non-story

[stevenl]

yeah, this is pretty much a non-story

I think it is a good warning that these scammers are still out there.

So IMO very useful story.

[NamKangMan]

Did you check out the ATM with the police officer?

There should have been a pin hole camera mouned above the keypad somewhere, unless they are now holding the camera and filming you re-enter your PIN after they encourage you to check your account balance.

[LivinginKata]

Did you check out the ATM with the police officer?

There should have been a pin hole camera mouned above the keypad somewhere, unless they are now holding the camera and filming you re-enter your PIN after they encourage you to check your account balance.

I tried to get the ATM camera footage a few years back when I was scammed in the same way. Bank would not release, need to get police order, reported to the police, never heard back from then, asked again, just not interested. Really not worth the hassle to get the video file.

[NamKangMan]

Did you check out the ATM with the police officer?

There should have been a pin hole camera mouned above the keypad somewhere, unless they are now holding the camera and filming you re-enter your PIN after they encourage you to check your account balance.

I tried to get the ATM camera footage a few years back when I was scammed in the same way. Bank would not release, need to get police order, reported to the police, never heard back from then, asked again, just not interested. Really not worth the hassle to get the video file.

I'm not talking about the bank's camera footage, LIK.

The skimmers need to "swipe" the magnetic strip on your card, which doesn't contain your PIN, and they also need to film you pressing the numbers of your PIN on the keypad. For that, they usually attach a very small pin hole camera above the keypad somewhere.

The usual method of skimming involved a card reader over the hole where you enter your ATM card into the machine, and a camera mounted above.

The method we have seen on Phuket in recent times involves the skimmer "assisting" you and getting your card from you which he "swipes" with a handheld device, but the skimmer still needs your PIN.

As this guy run off, his spy camera may still have been left mounted on the ATM.

[beechbum]

yeah, this is pretty much a non-story

Why?

[surangw]

should have gave his arm a good twist.

[Pakaty]

Did you check out the ATM with the police officer?

There should have been a pin hole camera mouned above the keypad somewhere, unless they are now holding the camera and filming you re-enter your PIN after they encourage you to check your account balance.

I tried to get the ATM camera footage a few years back when I was scammed in the same way. Bank would not release, need to get police order, reported to the police, never heard back from then, asked again, just not interested. Really not worth the hassle to get the video file.

I'm not talking about the bank's camera footage, LIK.

The skimmers need to "swipe" the magnetic strip on your card, which doesn't contain your PIN, and they also need to film you pressing the numbers of your PIN on the keypad. For that, they usually attach a very small pin hole camera above the keypad somewhere.

The usual method of skimming involved a card reader over the hole where you enter your ATM card into the machine, and a camera mounted above.

The method we have seen on Phuket in recent times involves the skimmer "assisting" you and getting your card from you which he "swipes" with a handheld device, but the skimmer still needs your PIN.

As this guy run off, his spy camera may still have been left mounted on the ATM.

No I did not go back to the ATM after looking for the guy, but the cop did a u-turn and stopped there after we parted. I always lean in close to the keypad and cover my hand with the other hand. Even I can't see the keys as I'm punching in the pin so I doubt they got my pin even if there was a camera. But yes, I should have checked.

[Pakaty]

should have gave his arm a good twist.

Ha ha there's a lot of things I could have done different in hindsight. One of the things I almost did was was give him a punch in the gut and put him in a headlock. But I was worried that if I was mistaken he could file a counter complaint and I don't want any problems like that. Edited January 31, 2014 by Pakaty

[BigC]

Sorry I have to ask was he thai or a foreigner as allot of Thai Muslims in Phuket

Can we illuminate that he was not thai but a foreigner ?

Just might help him stick out a bit more if he is foreign

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[manarak]

how would that scam work exactly?

some comments here refer to "skimming", which is making a clone of the card by copying its magnetic track and use a mini camera to film as the pin is typed, but skimming doesn't involve interaction with the victim, so I think this was a scam.

[stevenl]

how would that scam work exactly?

some comments here refer to "skimming", which is making a clone of the card by copying its magnetic track and use a mini camera to film as the pin is typed, but skimming doesn't involve interaction with the victim, so I think this was a scam.

He would clone the card with a hendhald device.

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[manarak]

how would that scam work exactly?

some comments here refer to "skimming", which is making a clone of the card by copying its magnetic track and use a mini camera to film as the pin is typed, but skimming doesn't involve interaction with the victim, so I think this was a scam.

He would clone the card with a hendhald device.

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

they really find people willing to hand them their ATM card?

[stevenl]

how would that scam work exactly?

some comments here refer to "skimming", which is making a clone of the card by copying its magnetic track and use a mini camera to film as the pin is typed, but skimming doesn't involve interaction with the victim, so I think this was a scam.

He would clone the card with a hendhald device.

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

they really find people willing to hand them their ATM card?

Do a search here and you'll find examples.

And yes, they don't do this for fun, same as the nigerian internet scammers, so sure they find victims.

[LivinginKata]

they really find people willing to hand them their ATM card?

In my case the guy snatched it out of my hand and put my card back in the ATM. This might sound stupid but their trick is to confuse the mark. And for sure I was confused by being offered the 1,000 baht that I 'left' in the ATM and they insist on the mark checking that they logged out of the ATM correctly. I said the machine signs off after the card comes back but he insisted I check and he grabbed my card to help out. Yes, it all sounds stupid especially for me who is suspicious of ATMs scam. But I got caught out, and waited too long to change my password = I got money taken out of my account.

[manarak]

they really find people willing to hand them their ATM card?

In my case the guy snatched it out of my hand and put my card back in the ATM. This might sound stupid but their trick is to confuse the mark. And for sure I was confused by being offered the 1,000 baht that I 'left' in the ATM and they insist on the mark checking that they logged out of the ATM correctly. I said the machine signs off after the card comes back but he insisted I check and he grabbed my card to help out. Yes, it all sounds stupid especially for me who is suspicious of ATMs scam. But I got caught out, and waited too long to change my password = I got money taken out of my account.

I see...

I wonder why they take such risks when they can simply prepare the ATM

[McFarang]

yeah, this is pretty much a non-story

HooHaa give the OP a break I think it is a very valid post as you are a novice to TV or maybe a Scammer. The Forum is here to help and warnings are help. Thank You

[crusader79]

yeah, this is pretty much a non-story

And this is a non-post.

[wellred]

yeah, this is pretty much a non-story

Who made an authority on how valid this story is? It's a good warning to stay vigilant when withdrawing money in Thailand.