Dear Editor;
I wonder if your readers all know how widespread ATM scams are. One friend recently lost bt40,000 – the thieves (mainly foreign gangs, we were told) used some sophisticated software to read his card & waited for his monthly payment before stealing it. Sadly, Thai banks are not interested, nor are the police here – when he reported his loss, the police officer pointed to a pile of similar complaints.
I feel sorry for the tourists who are being scammed every day. Many farang residents are aware of the problem & take steps to avoid falling for the thieves’ trap.
The advice one is given is to avoid using ATMs if possible, and certainly to avoid isolated ones – banks are, we hope, more likely to spot tampering of machines on their premises.
I personally have for years transferred funds to my bank here & use my bank book for withdrawals.
Signed,
Concerned Farang
