34Chevman

Don Dadda: Yes, its pretty scary stuff. We all think that our banks have the best security features in the world, but not so. I was lucky then most have been, as the unauthorised transactions took place when I was in transit from Bangkok back to Sydney - so I was able to prove this by way of air ticket details etc. When I arrived home, I just happened to check my banking online to find I was about $US1,000 overdrawn...and when I transferred some funds across to bring the amount back under the limit ... nothing was happening! Up to this point I was none the wiser what was really happening, so telephoned the bank. They immediatley cancelled the card, but being on a Friday night, which the banking system only works here on a Monday to Friday, the unauthorised transactions still went through over that weekend. They had sucked another $US400 out of my account, by the time the bank had fixed it all....and the unauthorised transactions had been done in FRANCE!! My bank (WESTPAC) said that the unauthorised transactions had been done over the internet ...then they said later they had been done over the shop counter. They werent even sure themselves other than to say my card was most probably copied from an ATM. My card was with me the whole time I was in Thailand. I was a fool to believe that our banks have the best security features in the world!! When I used the ATM's in Thailand I made sure there was no one around or have someone tapping me on the shoulder like the other posters have said...so naturally I thought everything was safe. Does anyone have a better way to withdraw funds whilst overseas? From my experience I feel its good value to telephone the bank each day to get updated etc on account balances etc.

On my last trip I had my mastercard copied, which apparently was done from a card reader inserted into the card slot of the ATM and it was possible that a small camera was put in place to record my pin number. ..so the bank told me. This happened in either Bangkok or Pattaya. The whole experience taught me that the banks security system is not as good as they make out and explains why those small signs we read on the ATM’s to cover your hand when entering your pin number; are not only for people looking over your shoulder but also for any small hidden camera’s that may be fixed.