Massive Atm Fraud In Pattaya!

[libya 115]

4 Sri Lankans arrested and charged with ATM card scam.

A case now from our broadcast colleagues in Laem Chabang, 25kms outside of Pattaya which led to the arrest of four Sri Lankan Nationals who were accused of involvement in a massive ATM card scam.

The case also involves a local Thai gang here in Pattaya where the database of information relating to magnetic strips of ATM cards was bought from. The suspects decided to withdraw money from the accounts in Laem Chabang rather than Pattaya in an attempt to avoid detection.

Police were made aware of large withdrawals from accounts and managed to track the men down to the front of a Bangkok Bank branch in Laem Chabang. They were found to be in possession of 211 blank cards each containing a magnetic strip.

They were taken back to their Hotel Room in Pattaya where a computer and memory stick, containing the bank account details and pin numbers relating to each card. Over 700,000 Baht in cash was also seized along with the passports of each suspect.

They have been charged with serious fraud and theft charges and will now go to court to explain their actions to a judge.

[COBBER]

Were probably a bit lucky that these guys were not too smart.

Its pretty scary when that they can get hold of ac. and pin numbers.

[libya 115]

Were probably a bit lucky that these guys were not too smart.

Its pretty scary when that they can get hold of ac. and pin numbers.

Yes, that is what puzzles, me. I understand how fraud gangs can clone cards, by magnetic strip skimmers.

But how do they obtain P.I.N.'s?

That is scary, because usually, banks will not refund fraud where ATM's have been used, citing P.I.N. security must have been lapsed.

Very worrying. I hope to learn more about this case.

[wolf5370]

But how do they obtain P.I.N.'s?

I worked for a large international bank for 9 years (granted this was a decade ago now) - I'll not state which one.

They used to send out re-advice of pins for people that forgot their numbers (was only for ATM's in these days). The original number was printed on a self sealing envelope (that was internally patterned so it had to be opened to be read). They kept unencrypted pins in the system for this - relying on file security to keep out the black hats.

Most banks hold pin numbers on the computer system as a one-way encrypted value. When you eneter your pin it is encrypted using an algorthym that can not be reversed, this is then compared against the encypted stored form. There is no way for a naughty IT worker to get at this information as even the system does not know the pre-encrypted version. Granted they may be able to get to the algorthym, but it is nigh on impossible to reverse engineer these things. The algorthym will be bought in usually where workers can not get to it (its pre-compiled). Now its not impossible to get past this - with the algorthm and the encrypted pin, there are only 10,000 possibilities to try (0000 to 9999). However, the encrypted pins will be secured and very difficult to get access to - or even to link to customers.

So, either the bank keeps non-encrypted pins and someone got them and sold them - unlikely in today's world - or more likely, they set up a dummy ATM (or dummy card reader on a real ATM) and recorded attempts to use it. This has been done many times before. Some scammers do this and then sell on their number list (safer than getting caught with counterfit cards or photographed by the ATM's camera etc).

[rocky]

Were probably a bit lucky that these guys were not too smart.

Its pretty scary when that they can get hold of ac. and pin numbers.

Yes, that is what puzzles, me. I understand how fraud gangs can clone cards, by magnetic strip skimmers.

But how do they obtain P.I.N.'s?

That is scary, because usually, banks will not refund fraud where ATM's have been used, citing P.I.N. security must have been lapsed.

Very worrying. I hope to learn more about this case.

DO NOT USE AN OUT DOOR ATM MACHINE, this scam is easy, first they put a divice over the input of the atm machine, the device looks like part of the ATM so you will not know, they have cameras over looking the ATM to record your fingers tapping in the code, IT IS THAT EASY

I only ever ever ever ever use the same machine, it is an indoor machine, an indoor machine at a bank, this scam is less likely to happen in this environment. The when I get my statement, I is easy, only ever use one machine, and I have a history of this, in case of fraud to demonstrate to the bank

[rocky]

Four Pictures, showing how easy it is so again, DO NOT USE AN OUTSIDE ATM MACHINE OR A MACHINE WITH ANYTHING ATTACHED TO IT, USE AN ATM AT A BANK INSIDE IF YOU CAN. Pattaya will bring the best from the west criminals to scam you

[tropo]

It just doesn't make any sense, these guys were smart enough to clone ATM cards that work, yet they went to a non-tourist area to do the withdrawals and brought suspicion on themselves.

They probably could have withdrawn money forever if they just went arount the 1000's of ATM machines in Pattaya and Bangkok.

[rocky]

It just doesn't make any sense, these guys were smart enough to clone ATM cards that work, yet they went to a non-tourist area to do the withdrawals and brought suspicion on themsel

If you read it again, the 4 Shi Lankans purchased the cards from Thai people, so were not the brains behind the scheme. They where caught because they thought they were clever, which infact they are not.

Now the Thais who made and sold the cards are very clever. Only 4 Sri Lankans arrester and charged, That means the cards are already cloned again and on the streets….

[Tolley]

This seems to resurface in Pattaya from time to time.

It is very scary indeed to hear of these stories and it makes me want to use the old travellers cheques to circumvent this problem.

The other advantage of TCs is that you can get a refund easily if stolen and further you don't pay any foreign conversion fee that those sneaky ATMs hit you for.......2.5 percent is a huge hit over a few thousand dollars.

[rocky]

This seems to resurface in Pattaya from time to time.

It is very scary indeed to hear of these stories and it makes me want to use the old travellers cheques to circumvent this problem.

The other advantage of TCs is that you can get a refund easily if stolen and further you don't pay any foreign conversion fee that those sneaky ATMs hit you for.......2.5 percent is a huge hit over a few thousand dollars.

This is an easy fraud to avoid

1) use an indoor atm machine, less likely the gang will be able to do this to an indoor machine

2) cover your hand when entering the pin.

REMEMBER THIS HAPPENBS IN EVERY CITY IN EVERY COUNTRTY ALL OVER THE WORLD, not just in Pattaya.

[markuk]

i would have thought everyone is aware of this these days, when using an ATM look very carefully for any attachments etc. I have some pictures of devices somewhere let me find them and post them.

[Tolley]

I take precautions as any sensible person would but it still sows the seeds of doubt and when in Pattaya many people are half drunk a lot of the time so easy to let your guard down.

I think i will revert to using TCs again even if they are a bit more of a hassle and have an ATM card as a back up.

[naka]

This seems to resurface in Pattaya from time to time.

It is very scary indeed to hear of these stories and it makes me want to use the old travellers cheques to circumvent this problem.

The other advantage of TCs is that you can get a refund easily if stolen and further you don't pay any foreign conversion fee that those sneaky ATMs hit you for.......2.5 percent is a huge hit over a few thousand dollars.

This is an easy fraud to avoid

1) use an indoor atm machine, less likely the gang will be able to do this to an indoor machine

2) cover your hand when entering the pin.

REMEMBER THIS HAPPENBS IN EVERY CITY IN EVERY COUNTRTY ALL OVER THE WORLD, not just in Pattaya.

Never seen an indoor ATM in Pattaya !

Naka.

[libya 115]

QUOTE:{Never seen an indoor ATM in Pattaya !

Naka.}

There are ATM's in all of the shopping malls, and Tuk Com. There are often ATM's situated inside banks.

I think the best ones, are NOT the mobile type, which look like Las Vegas bandit machines, but the ones attached to walls, and without any dodgy add-on plastic slots.

Plus be wary of the ATM's on the top floor of Royal Garden.

Personally, I find the best is the TMB on the ground floor of the Royal Garden Plaza.

Happy hunting Naka.

Edited December 12, 2006 by libya 115

[gharknes]

I would like more information about this

where all these cloned cards issued in thailand or where they foreign accounts

It would take a considerable amount of time to clone 700 ATM cards with pin

[rocky]

This seems to resurface in Pattaya from time to time.

It is very scary indeed to hear of these stories and it makes me want to use the old travellers cheques to circumvent this problem.

The other advantage of TCs is that you can get a refund easily if stolen and further you don't pay any foreign conversion fee that those sneaky ATMs hit you for.......2.5 percent is a huge hit over a few thousand dollars.

This is an easy fraud to avoid

1) use an indoor atm machine, less likely the gang will be able to do this to an indoor machine

2) cover your hand when entering the pin.

REMEMBER THIS HAPPENBS IN EVERY CITY IN EVERY COUNTRTY ALL OVER THE WORLD, not just in Pattaya.

Never seen an indoor ATM in Pattaya !

Naka.

Tesco's, Big C (Both), Tutcom, Royal Garden, Inside banks, and agree with other poster i only use the TMB bank in ground floor royal garden plaza

[rocky]

I would like more information about this

where all these cloned cards issued in thailand or where they foreign accounts

It would take a considerable amount of time to clone 700 ATM cards with pin

The cloning is of any card issued in any country, so an American, UK, French, Indian card can all be cloned and will be cloned here in Thailand (or any country for the matter) and then used here in Thailand to withdraw money from you account.

View the pictures in post six, this shows very well how easy this is done.

But to ensure this does not happen to you, , again

1) use an indoor atm machine, less likely the gang will be able to do this to an indoor machine

2) cover your hand when entering the pin.