New type of ATM skimmer found in Phuket

[Strangebrew]

Also to prevent tampering install several cameras around ATM's So if tampered with you can see who did it.

[bander]

"Anybody who comes across a suspicious device attached to an ATM is urged to call police immediately. Police believe that the criminals are probably loitering not far from the suspect ATM, and a stake-out of the ATM could result in arrests."

And the lazy Thai police is to stupid to watch the surveillance video from the ATM machine where it was attached, or maybe they are behind the scam

[bender92]

I wonder if bank managers or some bank staff / local area bank managers or officials are trained in this matter and whether they are required by bank standing orders to regularly inspect ATMs or ATMs in more at risk areas for any tampering.

In fact IMHO banks should have a legal responsibility to be checking ATMs for any interference.

I'm pretty sure ATMs are "restocked" and checked on a regular schedule. They wouldn't just be plunked in place and left to fend for themselves for weeks or months on end. But presumably the skimmers are aware of this and quite capable of installing their equipment just after a routine inspection has been made.

On the other hand, it's all the more important for ATM users to choose locations where fiddling with an ATM would be less likely to occur. Nothing is 100% safe, but if it's attached to a bank building or inside a mall with some security patrols, it's probably going to be a bit safer than choosing an ATM on some dimly lit vacant street or one standing along a usually deserted stretch of highway.

I always yank on the reader to make sure it is secure.

[davejones23]

Why don't banks do more to stop this. It seems they allow someone to withdraw money from an ATM in Thailand and then withdraw money from an ATM in Ukraine an hour later. How do the bank think that the card holders get from Thailand to Ukraine so quickly? Isn't it obvious to the banks that this is a scam? Shows that there isn't much security in place.

Edited May 28, 2014 by davejones23

[LivinginKata]

Also to prevent tampering install several cameras around ATM's So if tampered with you can see who did it.

The bad guys use full face helmets.

[ableguy]

Stop using ATMs with a Green Light ...Green Lights don't mean Go in this instance..

I stopped using them totally, read two much of this crap. But then I live here and the small bkk bank branches are open 7 days a week ( in hua hin ) .

[kkup]

I'd be suspicious putting my card into a giant green nob

[belg]

no CCTV around ATM's ? what about the camera in the ATM itself ? or does that only work during transactions ?

[maccastime]

Well what do you expect when you can buy Skimmers on the net?? i find this unbelievable,just google it,you can buy all types,why cant the police track these sites,and shut them down?

[MantisMan]

Gone are the days when we socialized more with people which included going up to the window and interfacing with a teller and not a machine.

Not that I don't enjoy technology and all it offers, I sometimes wonder if our youth these days have EVER in their life waited in line and did their transactions with the teller.

If we went back to doing this (besides the fact of losing time in lines and parking and such) things like this (scams) would not be happening.

LONG LIVE BANK TELLERS!

[NamKangMan]

When I read the thread title, I immediately thought of "cash trapping" and/or "ATM forking."

It's only a matter of time before these ATM scams in Thailand as well.

Here's some photos from google.

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=cash+trapping&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=NOiFU-IizIi4BOmUgeAB&ved=0CCgQsAQ

[biplanebluey]

I always jiggle it to see of it can come off easily. Not sure how good of a check that is but im guessing with a subtle force these skimmers should be able to come off easily no?

Yes I do the same------- but I wonder what would happen if it came away in my hand and went in the bank and they told me it was a real one not a skimmer.----------- Make you feel like youre doing a Mr Bean sketch

[NamKangMan]

A quick google found a good news article from Australia about "ATM forking."

The old "skimmers" could only clean out the card holder's account, but with "forking" they only need to skim one card, and then can clean out the whole ATM, not just the card holder's account.

http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article/8830169/forking-scam-hits-atms

[RisingSun]

I wonder if bank managers or some bank staff / local area bank managers or officials are trained in this matter and whether they are required by bank standing orders to regularly inspect ATMs or ATMs in more at risk areas for any tampering.

In fact IMHO banks should have a legal responsibility to be checking ATMs for any interference.

I'm pretty sure ATMs are "restocked" and checked on a regular schedule. They wouldn't just be plunked in place and left to fend for themselves for weeks or months on end. But presumably the skimmers are aware of this and quite capable of installing their equipment just after a routine inspection has been made.

On the other hand, it's all the more important for ATM users to choose locations where fiddling with an ATM would be less likely to occur. Nothing is 100% safe, but if it's attached to a bank building or inside a mall with some security patrols, it's probably going to be a bit safer than choosing an ATM on some dimly lit vacant street or one standing along a usually deserted stretch of highway.

And I still think that ATM's in front of 7/11 are the more secured ATMs, since it's never lonely out there, 24/7. Oh...less curfew hours, please.

[thrilled]

I'm really thinking outside the bank ATM's aren't safe.I'm thinking maybe we should stop using all of thevATM's outside of the bank.

After that I believe things will change.Some banks drag their feet on paying you back,if they ever do pay you back .

[easybullet3]

I wonder if bank managers or some bank staff / local area bank managers or officials are trained in this matter and whether they are required by bank standing orders to regularly inspect ATMs or ATMs in more at risk areas for any tampering.

In fact IMHO banks should have a legal responsibility to be checking ATMs for any interference.

thats seems like the logical suggestion.

though I doubt that bank staff are that independent enough to bother doing any routine checks..

your suggestion is the obvious immediate thing to be done.

But it its at night (after hours) then nothing can be done.

[ingvar]

Someone should point a finger at the suspicious device!

[easybullet3]

PS:

its not exactly rocket science to develop a new skimmer that matches the new design of the machine!!!

its kind of expected.

[MMarlow]

I wonder if bank managers or some bank staff / local area bank managers or officials are trained in this matter and whether they are required by bank standing orders to regularly inspect ATMs or ATMs in more at risk areas for any tampering.

In fact IMHO banks should have a legal responsibility to be checking ATMs for any interference.

Two years ago my Kasikorn bank book was retained when the bank book update machine jammed.

As it was a Saturday and the bank was closed I had to wait until after the weekend to go and get my book back from the branch that the machine was outside.

I went back on the following Tuesday and asked for my book, but was told that the machines outside the bank *Do Not* belong to the bank.

They are installed and operated by a 3rd party company, with staff who are not bank staff. So rather than my book being recovered by a trusted person from the bank who would simply keep it in the bank for the customer (me) to collect, instead it is collected by some maintenance guy.

The bank told me I had to make a report to the Police.

Personally I find this totally ridiculous but this is Thailand....

"...instead it is collected by some maintenance guy."

It's not collected by some maintenance guy, the ATMs and other machines are filled with cash and emptied of retained cards and passbooks by a reputable security company with trusted staff contracted to do that work. That is the way things work in most countries, not just Thailand. Think Brinks Mat, Securicor, G4S to name a few of those companies overseas.

[MMarlow]

"Anybody who comes across a suspicious device attached to an ATM is urged to call police immediately. Police believe that the criminals are probably loitering not far from the suspect ATM, and a stake-out of the ATM could result in arrests."

And the lazy Thai police is to stupid to watch the surveillance video from the ATM machine where it was attached, or maybe they are behind the scam

"...the lazy Thai police is to stupid to watch the surveillance video..."

Or maybe they did exactly that but the CCTV did not provide any identifiable evidence.

[Greg Nixon]

And what makes the police believe that the skimmers are not smart enough to read ? Or are the cops warning off a confederate ? My bet is the Russian mafia.

[marko kok prong]

I googled skimmers,i was astounded,there seemed litterally a hundred or so different types,how anyone but an expert could tell i don't know.

[gdringjr]

Card skimming devices such as the one described provide only half the information the crook needs to drain your account. The other information they need is your four digit PIN. Whenever a skimming device is located you can be sure there is another device, which could be a removable false keypad which fits over the genuine keypad and records the PIN keystrokes. A more common alternate to capturing PINS is with a well disguised miniature video camera that is placed to have a view of the users PIN entry.

Solution? Push, pull and pry on any part of the card reader AND keypad that you can get your fingers around. If it is anything but rock solid - don't use it. Also always cover the keypad with one hand while entering your PIN. Do this even if nobody is around. You are hiding your PIN not from prying eyes but from a miniature camera that you have very little hope of detecting easily.

[NamKangMan]

Card skimming devices such as the one described provide only half the information the crook needs to drain your account. The other information they need is your four digit PIN. Whenever a skimming device is located you can be sure there is another device, which could be a removable false keypad which fits over the genuine keypad and records the PIN keystrokes. A more common alternate to capturing PINS is with a well disguised miniature video camera that is placed to have a view of the users PIN entry.

Solution? Push, pull and pry on any part of the card reader AND keypad that you can get your fingers around. If it is anything but rock solid - don't use it. Also always cover the keypad with one hand while entering your PIN. Do this even if nobody is around. You are hiding your PIN not from prying eyes but from a miniature camera that you have very little hope of detecting easily.

I do all of what you describe, PLUS a few other things.

I only use ATM's inside the major shopping centers, usually Jungceylon.

However, my main defence is having two accounts, but only one account has an ATM card. The account with the ATM card is for day to day expenses.

Before I go to make a withdrawal, I get onto the internet bank and move money from the account with no card attached to it, to the account that has the card attached to it. This transaction also requires a "OTP" (One Time Password) sent to my phone and the transfered money is available, immediately.

Then, I withdraw my money from the ATM. I always leave about 1000 baht in the account, for two reasons, first, just to make sure the account stays open, and second, if that 1000 baht goes missing, i know the card has been compromised.

Should my card ever be skimmed, the most I will ever personally lose is 1000 baht.

[techboy]

on the theory that it was installed by an international skimmer gang.

oh really ? does it mean Thai gangs cannot have the mind to do that ?

"Thai gangs cannot have the mind to do that "

I think you have answered your own question..

I love such cracks by those such as yourself. May you reap the rewards of your ignorance!

[techboy]

Card skimming devices such as the one described provide only half the information the crook needs to drain your account. The other information they need is your four digit PIN. Whenever a skimming device is located you can be sure there is another device, which could be a removable false keypad which fits over the genuine keypad and records the PIN keystrokes. A more common alternate to capturing PINS is with a well disguised miniature video camera that is placed to have a view of the users PIN entry.

Solution? Push, pull and pry on any part of the card reader AND keypad that you can get your fingers around. If it is anything but rock solid - don't use it. Also always cover the keypad with one hand while entering your PIN. Do this even if nobody is around. You are hiding your PIN not from prying eyes but from a miniature camera that you have very little hope of detecting easily.

Interesting stuff. Thanks.

[techboy]

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on the theory that it was installed by an international skimmer gang.

oh really ? does it mean Thai gangs cannot have the mind to do that ?

There are no thai criminals in Thailand. Thai people do not commit crimes. This is a well established rule that thai people religiously follow just as they also graciously give monetarily to their temples and monks. Only foreigners are criminals. Foreigners have lots of money because they have stolen it from Thai people. This is why it is also necessary to collect money under the table at immigration....after all....this money used to belong to the Thai people.

Absurd and boorish post that is loaded with false innuendo. The most annoying thing about it is that you undoubtedly believe yourself to be clever and insightful.

[chrissables]

I wonder if bank managers or some bank staff / local area bank managers or officials are trained in this matter and whether they are required by bank standing orders to regularly inspect ATMs or ATMs in more at risk areas for any tampering.

In fact IMHO banks should have a legal responsibility to be checking ATMs for any interference.

I'm pretty sure ATMs are "restocked" and checked on a regular schedule. They wouldn't just be plunked in place and left to fend for themselves for weeks or months on end. But presumably the skimmers are aware of this and quite capable of installing their equipment just after a routine inspection has been made.

On the other hand, it's all the more important for ATM users to choose locations where fiddling with an ATM would be less likely to occur. Nothing is 100% safe, but if it's attached to a bank building or inside a mall with some security patrols, it's probably going to be a bit safer than choosing an ATM on some dimly lit vacant street or one standing along a usually deserted stretch of highway.

Do you think that people are smart enough to understand that ? They don't even understand that it's safer to have a helmet on motorcycles !

They understand full well wearing a helmet makes no sense, and laugh at people like you who believe all you are told!

[arisaje]

on the theory that it was installed by an international skimmer gang.

oh really ? does it mean Thai gangs cannot have the mind to do that ?

Well unfortunately yes as 99% of skimming scams and scammers are actually from overseas organized crime….

So stating that it was 'probably' an international skimmer gang is more likely to be right than wrong….

A lot of people on TV may think that this ATM is quite rampant here in Thailand……the reality is though its global and even worse throughout the big cities of Europe……where there are probably no Thai gangs

[honoluabay]

Take your chances at 7 11 if you can use the Bank ATM. IHOP

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