Atm Fraud

[pauljones]

By the way, I had only used the ATM at a branch of Bangkok Bank.

The machine just outside their front door.

[deejah]

thanks for the heads up

i checked and

THEY GOT ME TOO

surprised to see almost exactly 160 dollars

i think in/from poland

i think it was march 7

my balance was much higher than that

so i guess i am LUCKY

i contacted my bank

and might get back here with more details

i guess i too will have to change my behavior

[Swiss1960]

By the way, I had only used the ATM at a branch of Bangkok Bank.

The machine just outside their front door.

Best advice i can give is NEVER use any outside ATM where people just can walk bye in the middle of the night and install scanners and cams. If possible, go to ATM's inside bank buildings, best inside shopping malls which are closed to public during night... or use your passbock and go inside the bank, even thoug this of course is a hassle to do...

[Starbooks]

By the way, I had only used the ATM at a branch of Bangkok Bank.

The machine just outside their front door.

Me too Bangkok Bank on soi Khao noi....

Edited March 24, 2012 by Starbooks

[SurfRider]

.

"Ive tried a few times in Scb Pattaya to get money from the teller and they wont do it"

It's possible to get them to do an over-the-counter debit card withdrawal, but it's not easy.

I mostly use the SCB satellite branch offices in the malls because they're open until 7:30 or 8:00pm, where the main branch teller counters close at 3:30pm.

The teller wouldn't do it, so I asked for a supervisor. She tried to get me to use the ATM, but I told her I needed 30,000 and the ATM limit was 20,000 -- she suggested doing it in two transactions. I told her I didn't want to pay the 150 Baht Thai ATM usury fee even once, let alone twice!

She finally agreed to do it but I needed to have my passport and SCB bankbook. They have to call an office in Bangkok to get approval. That office closes at 5:00pm, so you need to start this process well before that time. I finally got the cash, but the ordeal took 30 minutes.

ATMs are MUCH faster and the AEON ATMs don't charge the 150 Baht usury fee. Unfortunately, there are only four of those in Pattaya.

.

[seefah]

ATMs are MUCH faster and the AEON ATMs don't charge the 150 Baht usury fee. Unfortunately, there are only four of those in Pattaya.

AEON ATMs charge my bank card, so perhaps only certain international cards don't get charged.

Edited March 25, 2012 by seefah

[SurfRider]

.

seefah,

Yes, International debit cards are not charged the 150 Baht Thai ATM fee at AEON ATMs.

There was an extensive Thai-Visa thread that ran for over a year after the Thai Bankers Association first levied the ATM fee. It was well established that AEON never charged the fee-- so if your card is being charged, that's the first incident that I'm aware of.

It might be helpful if you're willing to say what bank sponsors your card and from what country. Possibly the charge is originating with your bank or the debit-card vendor-- different from the Thai ATM fee.

.

Edited March 25, 2012 by SurfRider

[deejah]

in hindsight

there is an k bank atm

next to an exchange booth

on soi bouy cow

with a (french) restuarnt/bar/guesthouse

right next door

if my memory serves me correctly

the day this happened

there was a group hanging out at a table

with a laptop as close as they could get to the ATM

makes sense if they were involved

i checked my balance which was unusually high

but they only took what amounts to exactly 5000 baht!

so they

1- had a hard time accessing my account and balance

or

2- took pity on my look of poverty

3- mai lusee

Edited March 25, 2012 by deejah

[poanoi]

Ok, i will change habit & ATM machine,

so where is an ATM machine inside a bank in Pattaya ?

[SurfRider]

.

"so where is an ATM machine inside a bank in Pattaya ?"

I doubt that you'll find any ATMs that are actually inside a bank, but if you go to the shopping malls-- like Central Festival, Tesco-north (Pattaya Nua), Big-C Extra (formerly Carrefour), you'll find ATMs that are at the entrance to bank branch offices or high-traffic areas where it would be difficult for the scammers to install their skimming devices.

Here's some additional information from an earlier post:

* Criminals tend to attach skimming devices either late at night or early in the morning, and during periods of low foot traffic.

* Skimming devices are usually attached for a few hours only.

* Criminals install equipment on at least 2 regions of an ATM to steal both the ATM card number and the PIN.

* Criminals then sit nearby receiving the information transmitted via the devices (installed on the ATM)

.

[NaMah]

Although ATM cards do provide a convenience, it may be time to go back to the old fashion method by going to a bank and withdrawing funds from a teller. Especially in high risk areas like Patters.

Ive tried a few times in Scb Pattaya to get money from the teller and they wont do it.They phone head office to get your limit increased and then tell you to go to the Atm to take it out..

If a bank refused a cash withdrawal at the teller I would fire them and move my funds to another bank.

I would also like to thank Paul for posting about this theft and want to let him know that by doing so he helps the rest of us to make good banking decisions.

Na Mah

[FarangBuddha]

PITA to have to worry too much about which ATM to use or to stand in a long line to withdraw money from one's account...If one is concerned about possible theft, just use machines at bank branches and not free-standing ones and as a secondary precaution, use the two account method with one holding most of your money with no ATM card and the second with funds for a few weeks to a month and an ATM card...fund the second account either by in-branch transfers from account one or via online transfers...also set-up both accounts (but especially number two) for SMS notification of any ATM and/or account activity. Easy peasy.

[callao]

aI had this happen to me too, Kasicirn bank branch on soi Bukkuo only place I used it, never left my sight, couple weeks later got transactions in Moscow, my bank took the hit but pissed me off, and can't figure how the did it, be careful it happens

[pauljones]

Today, I explained to Bangkok Bank that my card was skimmed at their branch and they could not care less.

U huh U huh U huh....

I suggested they have security or police check their equipment.

U huh U huh U huh...,