Bank Card Skimmed - probably in Hua Hin

[Luxrebel]

I haven't seen anything posted here about card skimming in Hua Hin. Unfortunatly for me I had EUR 860 taken from my account in 6 transactions processed in Bangkok last Wednesday.

I was on holiday in Hua Hin in March. I can only presume that my card was skimmed at the time - I was at work in Luxembourg last week.

I didn't visit Bangkok in March so didn''t use my card there, I was in Phuket for a few days but I don't think I used my card.

Just thought I would post here to potentially warn you and ask if you know of this happening to anyone else?

My brother is a bank branch manager in Ireland and he informs me that right now these people wait to use peoples copied bank cards for up to 5-6 months after the information has been stolen.

[caller]

Thailand has one of the worst reputations for card fraud, hence the posts about banks stopping access to ATM's, even if you inform them of where you are travelling and how long for!

Could be Rumanian skimmers in europe, or petrol stations in the UK run by Sri Lankans, or........

[Roel]

Or maybe you buy petrol at BP stations in the UK?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/6579809.stm

Probably this year's IKTS champion.

[PJG]

Your card is more likely to have been skimmed in the country where you are normally using it or in UK, then money taken from the ATM in Thailand. This has been well covered in other posts and is a common occurance.

[The understudy]

Hi there Y'all!

I'had never been Credit card skimmed before in Thailand during my five year tenure @ Stamford Univ. It seems that your card had been skimmed @ the country where you use most like Mr. PJG said before me. The likely place overthere in the UK are Sri Lankan run Gas/Petrol Stations who support the Tamil Tigers with these Illlegal transactions. Overhere in Berlin are Petrol /Gas Stations run by Tuerkish people. They use these Tarnsactions to support Illegal operrations of their greatlty extended Families!

Your's The understudy!!!

[sand1]

Today i got a surprise when i updated a thai bank deposit book and it said that 75,834 baht was taken out on the 23rd of july. I was in europe for the last 2 months and just got back and never used a thai bank card outside thailand.
Anytime i take out money i take out even ammounts like 20,000 or 25,000 if the atm allows but never uneven ammounts like that.
there is a smaller amount of 285.35 baht put in just before the other one on the same day.
Must check with the bank this week about that in case it is an employee or something being strange.
Hopefully it's nothing.

[Chas]

Sand.. just curious which bank.

[Pagey]

3 ATM's located in supermarkets in Hull and Beverley (near Hull) have just been the victims of this type of fraud as was a petrol station in Hull about 6 months ago.

[ozuncle]

Sand I too am curious about which bank.
I am surprised that you dont seem very worried. This sounds serious and I think you should follow up Today not This Week.
Please keep us informed.
I have savings Accounts in Thailand and am always worried as it is sometimes 6 months between visits and I cant check Account balance on internet.

[sand1]

Here's what happens.
When you take out money and put in money say for a month without updating the deposit book the bank atomatically updates it bunched on one line on it's computer at a certain time so thats possibly why for the first poster that it appeared that someone took from his account when he was out of the country also.

I guess it's just a way for the banks to save money by not wasting book space with every transaction and bunching them together. But also it leaves room for mistakes.
The banks here dont send out statements and the receipts from the atm automatically fade (special ink) after a month or 2 for some reason.
If i was a thai bank teller it could be tempting knowing how they are taught it's ok or even good to take from foreigners. too much room there for fraud or theft.
It's easy lose track of money when figures aren't shown.

[Vital Spark]

Let's not get carried away here.

I've had accounts with the Thai Military Bank for over ten years, and not one penny (baht) has been removed from my account.

Whenever you withdraw money from an ATM you get a receipt telling you how much money you have in your account, you can also just request a statement at any ATM (even abroad). Yes, the ink fades, because it's printed on low quality paper with low quality ink. They don't expect the customer to keep receipts for more than a week or so (or even 5 minutes).

I don't think it's a conspiracy on the the banks part. And I really don't think that a bank employee is stealing your money. Just check, and double check, before you speak to the bank.

VS

P.S. Sand1: Did anyone else have access to your card?

[webmaster]

One correction about the "Special Ink".

Nowadays, it's the same technology used in ATM machines or receipts as most of the FAX machines.

There is NO ink used, to enable the vendor to cut down on ink-cartridge replacements and working hours, it's a system that enables the THERMAL PAPER facing the heat, to copy the content that's been required to print. Unfortunately this printing technology has a very short life span of display, especially in hot climates.

If you would like to test one of your old ATM print-outs or faxes, just hold a the paper close to a heat source like lighter or candle, it soon will start changing colours (grey colour tones). Some Fax machines uses toners (very fine ink dust) and can print on standard papers (no thermal paper-roll needed)

In normal printed documents using ink on a normal/standard paper this won't happen and usually they are printed on different colours on the same paper.

[JimboPSM]

Came across this link to Phuket Gazette which has pictures of an ATM scanner that has just been found there.

http://phuketgazette.com/news/index.asp?id=5914