ATM's

[toddingtontrevor 0]

I have recently returned to the UK from Pattaya and have discovered that someone has gained access to my bank account. My Service Card was kept in the safety deposit box in my hotel and only taken out when I needed to make a withdrawal but still someone withdrew cash 10 times from ATM's from Thai Farmer Bank machines. On one occassion at almost the same time I was drawing cash so the conclusion must be the card has been cloned. As I always used the same machines someone has a gadget or a camera in 2nd Road, Soi Buakeo or Central Road.

Altogether I lost 56,000 bahts so WATCH OUT

[Gabor 296]

It's happened too with a friend on Walking street. He had the SMS service, so he knew about it within 1-2 minutes. He called the bank and no problem, no any withdrawal from his account and a new card with DHL. An other good idea... change your PIN on every use of the card.

[rb 20]

I have recently returned to the UK from Pattaya and have discovered that someone has gained access to my bank account. My Service Card was kept in the safety deposit box in my hotel and only taken out when I needed to make a withdrawal but still someone withdrew cash 10 times from ATM's from Thai Farmer Bank machines. On one occassion at almost the same time I was drawing cash so the conclusion must be the card has been cloned. As I always used the same machines someone has a gadget or a camera in 2nd Road, Soi Buakeo or Central Road.

Altogether I lost 56,000 bahts so WATCH OUT

so what hotel did you stay at?

[Rex7777 0]

Sounds strange, doesn't it? Not only did they have to clone your card, they had to find out your pin #.

 

Rex

[Bigmike 0]

Sounds strange, doesn't it?  Not only did they have to clone your card, they had to find out your pin #. 

 

Rex

Rex I have to agree with you here. It would be impossible for any one to use a ATM card even though it was cloned without the pin. I think there is a bit of a wind up here.

Bigmike.

[sommy 0]

i can add to this it has happened here in canada and this is how a bank card is cloned with a pin also as this is how it happened in canada:

 

th e black market has invented a machine that can be hooked up to store cash registers with atm devices, you know how now you can go to a store or gas station and pay for your purchase with an atm card well some criminals have gone to in this case to a gas station they bribe the attendant to let them install this device that goes between the atm device and cash register ,like an interface and it records the bank # and pins when people make transctions nand eneter them into teh atm device and then the the criminal comes by and picks up the machine and pays off the employee and now the criminal has all these bank# and pins.

 

So now i guess in the above post he advises thathe only used his bank card at an atm in thailand. my guess is that the only possibilties is someone working in the bank has allowed for a device to be hooked up to the bank machine to record the bank #'s and pins though this has never happened in canada as people working in the bank have been trustworthy and im sure there are many security measures in place. BUt in thailand who knows if you can trust a bank manager at the bank or someone who works for the bank and has access to the bank machine. Could be the guy who loads it up with the money who knows . unless someone has installled a very good camera at the machine that can capture the bank card and pin being enetered who knows anything is possible with the level of corruption in thailand.

 

on my trips i load myself up with travellers cheques and when i get down to my last $200 i start to withdraw from teh bank machine.

guess thats the best i can do

[Bigmike 0]

sommy even in Thailand I doubt very very much that they would even contemplate a scam such as that. The only way that I'm aware of to misuse a ATM cards is that they put some sort of fake device on the front of the ATM that looks like a normal opening where you insert your ATM and it reads the details off the magnetic strip, they then have a small video camera mounted so that when you key in your pin they can see what your password is. This has happened in Australia, but as far putting a device like a key logging type on bank ATM's, impossible

[Gabor 296]

Another transparent device inside the card slot captures card data. While the cardholder completes the transaction, a computer attached to the overlay records all the data necessary to clone the card.

 

ATM fraud grows more sophisticated

 

In most cases withdrawals go without a hitch but ATM fraud has started to be a growing nuisance. This type of fraud, including use of stolen cards at ATMs, has grown from £8.2 million in 1997 to £21.2 million in 2001, representing about 5% of all card fraud.

 

Watch out, watch out, there’s an ATM thief about

 

In the United States, where independent ATMs (i.e., machines not maintained by banks) are more common, some crooks have resorted to even more thorough methods for stealing money. In December 2003, U.S. Secret Service agents arrested Iljmija Frljuckic, who had bought and installed more than 55 ATMs in California, Florida, and New York. Frljuckic used the machines to collect information on more than 21,000 accounts from 1,400 different banks, which he used to appropriate over $3.5 million from customer accounts.

 

ATM houses duplicate card reader and wireless camera.

 

 

A false card slot is affixed over the original card slot. The false slot holds an additional card reader used to copy card information.

[Bigmike 0]

ATM fraud grows more sophisticated

 

 

 

Watch out, watch out, there’s an ATM thief about

 

 

 

ATM houses duplicate card reader and wireless camera.

 

 

A false card slot is affixed over the original card slot. The false slot holds an additional card reader used to copy card information.

Garbor as the links in your post say that a device is used all the time, so with just a little care and some common dog fuck you will be safe using ATM's. For someone to get your pin you virtually have to let them see you entering it at the ATM. A debit card is far more safer to use than net banking, especially in an Internet café.

Bigmike.

[Gabor 296]

Garbor as the links in your post say that a device is used all the time, so with just a little care and some common dog fuck you will be safe using ATM's. For someone to get your pin you virtually have to let them see you entering it at the ATM. A debit card is far more safer to use than net banking, especially in an Internet café.

 

You are absolutely right. I myself using my debit card with ATM on a daily status in Pattaya. Also managing my financial deals with Hungary from internet cafes on Jomtien with online banking. Still no any trouble. However my friend sucked, not everyone is an expert. My advice was the SMS service. ( I receive an SMS message to my mobile phone within 2-3 minutes if any changes on my account ) If you notice promptly, that someone using your account you can call the bank and immediately report them about it, not weeks later after your return home.

About the PIN change... you can do it on any ATM, you don't need the internet banking.

[Hub 203]

sommy even in Thailand I doubt very very much that they would even contemplate a scam such as that. The only way that I'm aware of to misuse a ATM cards is that they put some sort of fake device on the front of the ATM that looks like a normal opening where you insert your ATM and it reads the details off the magnetic strip, they then have a small video camera mounted so that when you key in your pin they can see what your password is. This has happened in Australia, but as far putting a device like a key logging type on bank ATM's, impossible

Bigmike:

 

This has and is happening in Thailand and often is not as easy to prevent as you indicate. Half in the bag at 2 am in Pattaya, not many are going to do a search for hidden videocams in an atm booth.

 

Hub

[Niall 0]

This is worrying news indeed.

 

I would never use a credit card in Thailand, odds on it will be cloned.

 

I would never use those front desk two key 'safety' boxes. The staff have access to both keys before they give you one and all night to play. In room safe where you set the code or lock stuff in your luggage and secure it to something solid.

 

Travellers cheques? Too much commission.

 

Access my on-line bank account from a Thai internet cafe? Not likely...

 

I thought ATM and pin used during the day when sober and keeping an eye out for shoulder surfers was fine but if the information is being intercepted then there seems nothing I can do. Hopefully the cost gets past back to the Thai banks, if it hits them in the pocket they will do something about it.

[ch1ldofthemoon 0]

Card Cloning is a big problem in the UK.According to the news,criminals place a card reading device with micro-camera to read your PIN,as you enter it.

An interesting twist to this scam is that now that UK banks are changing over to "Chip`n`Pin" cards,it`s the customer who loses,not the banks....! The banks are saying that it is impossible to clone a "chip`n`pin" card,so if someone clones your card,the uk banks will say that you must have revealed your PIN to someone else.

I watched a TV program the other night,concerning "chip`n`pin" cards,and they showed you how easy it was,for someone to clone a "chip`n`pin" card.Apparently,you can "read" the magnetic strip,and instruct it,that there is NO chip present(which will tell ATM`s not to bother looking for a chip),then use the cloned card to withdraw money from peoples accounts......

I personally NEVER take my cards to Thailand,I always take large value travellers cheques and at 23 Baht commission per cheque( I think ? ),it`s not a lot to pay out for safety.........

[doolish 14]

Hi Niall,

If you have a gold or plat. credit card travellers cheques are commision free with most banks. When i buy my T.C's i show my card but pay for them in cash. Also if you have any left when you get home they will change them with no commision. I prefer to get sterling T.C.'s as you get a better rate of exchange in LOS over cash or D.C., and when you get back to U.K. you have sterling so you don't lose out on the crap U.K. exchange rates.

Cheers Doug.

[Eneukman 1]

I now use my Nationwide debit card to draw cash whether I'm at home or in Pattaya and to date have never had problems. However, as childofthemoon says, there is a problem in the UK with cards being cloned - including some machines too fucking close to where I live for my liking.

 

I also use internet banking so I can keep track of what's happening in my accounts, including my offshore account, on line. In addition, I use Microsoft Money to keep track of my finances and seldom have any problem reconciling my bank statement when it comes in every month - unlike beforehand when it took for ever to balance it!

 

I am forever amazed at the number of people who don't pay any attention to their bank statements. Having worked for a bank for many years, I pay VERY close attention to my statement as I know how easy it is for simple mistakes to be made, not so much now though.

 

Alan