Phuket - Whats the curent situation on Credit cards

sossn · #1 15-02-2006, 19:21

I heard on Thai Vis com that there is a lot of credit card fraud going on in Phuket by Malaysians and thais as i am coming to phuket soon just wondering what u can do to stop this event happening to you

In the Clinch take the Pinch

Mav · #2 15-02-2006, 19:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by sossn

I heard on Thai Vis com that there is a lot of credit card fraud going on in Phuket by Malaysians and thais as i am coming to phuket soon just wondering what u can do to stop this event happening to you

In the Clinch take the Pinch

Contact your bank and ask them, after all they are the organisation issuing you with the card, so they should be able 2 give you the best advice.

andy50 · #3 15-02-2006, 20:17

only use your card in the atm,s to draw cash don,t give it to anyone to pay for anything - use cash
also inform your card issuer that you will be in los ,and tell them the dates you will be there

stevem · #4 16-02-2006, 03:40

There always has been a problem with CC fraud in SE Asia, and I dont believe that it is any worst at the moment. Using CC's just needs the holder to use some common sense.

naughty boy · #5 16-02-2006, 06:00

Negative!

My friend got a statement where about 2500 € has been taken from his card.

Payement in London, while being in Thailand. He's not a fool. He has not payed much with his card. Just dino's and a hotel restaurant "sawasdee", both in Kata.

Can't prove anything, but don't keep your card out of sight. I have travelled all over the world, and never has my card been abused. Stolen yes.

So Thailand is pretty bad, and that is a pitty! He will proberly get his money back, but the first thing his bank asked was, if he had been in Asia!

big mitch · #6 16-02-2006, 09:23

I got stung for AUS$1500 in Dec last year. I only used atm machines on bangla road. I take it my card was skimmed, re-produced and then used in the UK 5 weeks later to purchase items

I got the cash back, it was just the inconvenience. I will be in patong tommorrow and iam not using atm's.I will bring on me what i need.

Mav · #7 16-02-2006, 09:26

I do use my Credit Card all the time in Thailand and have been lucky enough not to have been stung.........will continue to ride my luck.....might ring my Bank prior to my next trip just to cover myself.

stevem · #8 16-02-2006, 09:53

You can get stung by the ATM reader trick anywhere in the world, even here in Sydney there was a Malaysian gang caught not too long ago. As I said before its common sense and being aware of the situation, like carefully looking at the ATM machine particularly under the card slot before inserting your card.

When I was living in Phuket I used CC's all the time and never had any problems.

Mav · #9 16-02-2006, 10:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

like carefully looking at the ATM machine particularly under the card slot before inserting your card.

Yes, you should always look at what you are inserting into b4 you actually do it.......same goes with Credit cards

naughty boy · #10 16-02-2006, 13:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

You can get stung by the ATM reader trick anywhere in the world, even here in Sydney there was a Malaysian gang caught not too long ago. As I said before its common sense and being aware of the situation, like carefully looking at the ATM machine particularly under the card slot before inserting your card.

When I was living in Phuket I used CC's all the time and never had any problems.

The guy I am refering to, showed me this board. Forgot his alias here.
We have discussed this issue. Thailand has become with the years a less pleasant place. This is not going to be popular, but as a destination Thailand is not the safest neither for your money, neither for your belongings!

When tourism started some 30 years ago, the Thais made it a point of honour to receive these "strange visitors" very well. Too many came!
These farangs, has a lot of money to spend, it seem to come out of nowhere. The average income of the Thais is very low, 100 €/month.
As most of the people found honest ways to get some money out of these visitors, with the years, scams became the way to go for Thai people making easy buks. From more innocent things as "the temple is close", take tuk-tuk to another one (and the gems-shops/tailors at the same occasion) to theft in rooms while sleeping and creditcard-scams like these. Even personal attacks have been reported more then ever these last years especially in Samui. Not talking even about taxi-drivers getting involved in an accident and drive away, with your belongings, when you are out of the car.

These are NOT isolated cases anymore. I read in the "phuket gazette" that a lot of farangs have been stolen, not only in their hotel-rooms, but also rented houses. Some times you are a victim of something like that, sometimes you do not know that you have been cheated again.

I talked with a couple 2 years ago. These guys stayed in the most of expensive hotels. They thought Thai people were so niiice, that they even thought that if there was theft, it must have been the farangs themselfs.

Worsed is that if Thais were honorably poor in the past,if you can call this honarable of course, this has changed too much. As said before, I travel a lot and talk to many people, this situation has increased dramatically these last 5 years. In phuket the situation seem to have become worse after the Tsunami. Not a way to thank people, who gave money for these victims.

Of course, this situation happened before in a lot of tourist-centers, all around the world. But if the first question of a creditcard-reprenstative is, if the victim has been to Thailand, then you know enough!

Pitty! Although, no complaints about bg's being dishonnest! Some safe places!!! If....you wear your hat

georgelondon · #11 16-02-2006, 13:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mav

Yes, you should always look at what you are inserting into b4 you actually do it.......same goes with Credit cards

HAHA! brilliant.

dizbuster · #12 16-02-2006, 15:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by naughty boy

...I read in the "phuket gazette" that a lot of farangs have been stolen...

That's outrageous !! Let's start a campaign - "We want our fellow farangs back !!"

naughty boy · #13 16-02-2006, 16:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by dizbuster

That's outrageous !! Let's start a campaign - "We want our fellow farangs back !!"

Would not do that Mister! Some better stay away!

Yeah, better take this with humour. As long as ...you are not the victim yourself, ins't it!

dizbuster · #14 16-02-2006, 16:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by naughty boy

Would not do that Mister! Some better stay away!

Yeah, better take this with humour. As long as ...you are not the victim yourself, ins't it!

I've not had a problem in my 10 visits to LOS, maybe it's because I travel regularly for my job and caution is like 2nd nature to me ? Most people get caught out because they are not clued up on all the scams and ways of being caught out, so making sure you know of all the ways it is possible to be caught out is a good first step to take.

I recommend that people search the internet and find pages that inform you of what to watch out for, like this website... http://www.hoax-slayer.com/ which also gives advice on which are hoaxes or not. I know this one is mainly email based scams but there are other sites out there for advising on financial scams, unfortunately I haven't got the links on this machine I'm currently using.

naughty boy · #15 16-02-2006, 16:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by dizbuster

I've not had a problem in my 10 visits to LOS, maybe it's because I travel regularly for my job and caution is like 2nd nature to me ? Most people get caught out because they are not clued up on all the scams and ways of being caught out, so making sure you know of all the ways it is possible to be caught out is a good first step to take.

I recommend that people search the internet and find pages that inform you of what to watch out for, like this website... http://www.hoax-slayer.com/ which also gives advice on which are hoaxes or not.

I call this luck!

dizbuster · #16 16-02-2006, 16:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by naughty boy

I call this luck!

Call it what you like, but if I was not as vigilante as I currently am, then no doubt I would have been a victim. Don't judge everyone by your own deficiencies old boy !!

http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/index.htm

stevem · #17 16-02-2006, 17:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by dizbuster

Call it what you like, but if I was not as vigilante as I currently am, then no doubt I would have been a victim. Don't judge everyone by your own deficiencies old boy !!

http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/index.htm

Well said Diz

naughty boy · #18 16-02-2006, 17:37

Well I do not. My job is in the tourist industry. There much unsafer countries then Thailand, take Brazil.

I don't know you all very well, and I am new on this board. Thailand IS a lovely country. But believe me, that you do not have to be stupid, to have a bad experience like this in Thailand.

Yes, if you are giving your cc in good faith in Thailand, you are, but even that is a pitty. I gave my card thousands times in Paris (there are safer cities), never had a problem.

If you are sleeping in a house, with your door locked, and they break in, like I read in the Phuket-gazette, I don't think you are an idiot. Not every house where a farang is sleeping, has unexpectd visitors, that is why I say YOU are lucky.

Of course, if you read all this sites, and be carefull, you will escape some scams. I don't want to offend any bar-tenders here, but how do you know, when you are not sober, that your change is right. But strange, didn't have more bills in your wallet then you thought? I read on this board that the owner of this bar,his motorcycle had been stolen once on Bangla, he doesn't know the scene?

Many people love Thailand, so do I. But you must not be blind that scams and theft are increasing every year. If the ATM on Bangla are not safe, that is a very serious matter, and many people would not even consider it would be!

And Mr Dizbuster, if you have been safe 10 times, just consider yourself lucky. But don't think the victims are stupid, because, one day it could happen to you, and I hope you will be honnest enough to say it!

That said, enjoy your time there!

dizbuster · #19 16-02-2006, 19:22

No, no, no you are twisting situations to fit your argument. Credit Cards stolen through break-ins count for a very very tiny amount of credit card fraud and if you are staying at a hotel which has in-room safes or safety depsoits boxes and don't use them, then you are stupid.

Credit card fraud originates mainly from "skimming" and "phishing" techniques developed by fraudsters, scammers and con-artists and if you are careful, you won't be caught out by any of them. This has got nothing to do with "luck" and I am certain that there are many people who have been to LOS far more times than me, who have yet to be the victim of credit card fraud.

If you really do work in the tourist industry, then you would already know this to be the case and I would have thought, been in an excellent position to actually help and advise people of the best ways in which to remain safe from this type of fraud which results in nothing but misery.

Finally, why you are you wishing that it will happen to me one day ?? Is there some ulterior motive for you saying this, or do you throw your toys out of your pram like this every time someone has differing opinions ??

stevem · #20 16-02-2006, 19:42

I guess I've been lucky too over the past 15 years or so, I had better give an offerring to Bhudda for watching over me.

andy50 · #21 16-02-2006, 19:45

And Mr Dizbuster, if you have been safe 10 times, just consider yourself lucky. But don't think the victims are stupid, because, one day it could happen to you, and I hope you will be honnest enough to say it!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------i can,t see where he has "thrown his toys out of the pram diz--or that he i s "wishing" that it will happen to you one day?

naughty boy · #22 16-02-2006, 20:02

Quote:

Finally, why you are you wishing that it will happen to me one day ?? Is there some ulterior motive for you saying this, or do you throw your toys out of your pram like this every time someone has differing opinions ??

Noop, Mr dizzbuster, you are so smart it will not happen to you, I am sure about that!

You want advice, I give it to you! Leave your cc-card at home and don't use it!
Leave also your money, so you can't be robbed!

So....just stay at home!

Serious now, there is one big advantage when you DO use your CC. Money you can loose, and it is gone 4 ever. Now if you do not exagerate your stupidness, and I am not talking specially to Mr Dizzbuster here, the bank has to pay you back.

It is THEIR job to be smarter then the scammers!

But you should not come so hard on me, even as a newbee, I say what I think.
I am particulary sadned that Thailand's crime-rate has gone up so much. And most of all that is my point! Luckily there are indeed some smart people like you who are not among their victims. Some people do come for the first time and are not prepared to all the things that can happen when you travel!

And again, enjoy your holliday, in spite of all this!

dizbuster · #23 16-02-2006, 20:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy50

And Mr Dizbuster, if you have been safe 10 times, just consider yourself lucky. But don't think the victims are stupid, because, one day it could happen to you, and I hope you will be honnest enough to say it!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------i can,t see where he has "thrown his toys out of the pram diz--or that he i s "wishing" that it will happen to you one day?

Re-read his last paragraph and if you can't see what he is implying - say nothing.