Foreign ATM Skimming Gang Withdraw Over 600,000 THB

November 9, 2013

A Foreign gang fixed a card skimmer to an ATM machine and withdrew money from more than 40 victims accounts totalling over 600,000 THB. A housekeeper went to draw money out of her account to use for an ordain ceremony for her son and noticed her money was missing.

BANGKOK – November 7, 2013 [PDN]; Mrs. Praphanit Kraimart, aged 55, from Tambon Nai Khlong Bangplakod, Amphur Phrasamutjadi, Samutprakarn province, notified Pol. Capt. Meesak Morat (investigation officer of Lumpini police station) that many thousands of THB was missing from her account. Went she reported it she was told that there was another 20 people who had reported the same problem.

Mrs. Praphanit said that she works as a housekeeper at the All Season Place building, Tambon Pathumwan, Amphur Lumpini and that she had money in her Bangkok bank totalling more than 100,000 THB which she had earned for over 10 years in order to set up an ordain ceremony for her son. Before the incident she heard from her colleagues that their money in their bank accounts had gone missing so she went to check her account, but when she put her card in the ATM it swallowed it so she rush to inform the bank. When at the bank the bank clerk told her that almost 50,000 THB was missing from her account and that there was 5 withdrawals of 9,000 THB and that there was only 50,000THB left.

Ms. Phakamart Witheetharm, aged 51, who is another victim said that she works in the same building as Mrs. Praphanit and had money stolen from her account on November 4, 2013. Officers of SCB bank called to her and asked where she was so she replied that she was in Thailand, then the bank officers asked for her permission to sequester her bank account because the previous night there was 3 unusual transactions in Kiev, Eukraine totalling30,000 THB .

Pol. Col. Chaiya Khongsap (Superintendent of Lumpini police station) said that he will call the bank officers that take care of ATM card system of the various banks to ask for information to find a way to protect the victims. He assumed that the culprits might be a Russian gang that fix skimmers to various ATM machines and when victims puts their ATM cards into the ATM the skimmer collects the cards information and is sent to the gang.

Pol. Col. Sathit Phromuthai (Commander 5 of the Crime Suppression Division about Economical Crime) said that the victims notified the investigation police of Lumpini police station. He will coordinate with the banks in order to find the gang members who are copying information of ATM cards in Thailand and withdrawing money in foreign countries, also they are copying information from foreign countries then withdraw money in Thailand. He assumed that the gang might be Turkish or Russian.

The journalist reported that there were 22 victims that had notified police and most of them are from Sathorn road, Plernjit road and Sukhumvit road. Yesterday (November 7, 2013) there were additional 18 victims came to notify the police a total of 40 victims within 2 days. An estimate of over 600,000 THB had been stolen. After this the news spread and lots of people went to check their accounts and there were additional victims who reported thefts from their accounts. Police found that the ATM machine of Kasikorn Thai bank in front of Lumpini police station was fixed with a skimmer too.

Mr. Nat Phayongsri (the computer expert technical specialist of the Ministry of Information Technology and Communication) said that the ATM machine was not hacked but it had been fitted with skimmer which collects information of the victims’ ATM cards then the information is used to make counterfeit ATM cards which are then used to withdraw money in foreign countries. He also suggested that the people who live in the incident area should check their bank, change passwords, and also ask the bank to issue them with a new ATM card.