At the moment, fraud is more common in Thailand with both debit and credit cards. Last week there was a case of fraud at a gas station. A female customer handed over her credit card for payment. Then she got it back and before she even left the station she received a sea of write-off reports.
The employee had written down the card details, including the 3-digit security code on the back of the card. With this, games were bought on the internet. Since the lady received reports of debits, she immediately went back to the employee in question. He admitted the fraud. She then demanded the amount of depreciation back. Since the employee did not have this and it was not allowed to be paid from the cash register, the police were called in. A settlement was reached and the staff members present docked the amount.
The police intervened because the woman threatened to put the story about the fraud with her credit card at the gas station on Facebook. In the end, she also posted this with the photo of the gas station. The employee was fired with immediate effect, as was his wife. Both were employed. The amounts advanced by the employees have been deducted from their salary.
A similar situation occurred the same week at another gas station.
When using a Dutch card, you will only see afterwards which debits have been made. Such fraud is presumably reimbursed by the credit card company.
Fraud is also common when using the debit card of Thai banks. For example, when making a payment at the BigC, you hand over your card. The payment is made and you do not have to enter a PIN code. You make a scribble (an x is also sufficient) you get your card back and that's it.
So, if you lose your credit card, you must have your card blocked quickly or you will have a problem.
Submitted by John
Happened to me too in 2013, but I only found out after a few days. Bought all kinds of games and things like that. Total for about 350 euros before I blocked it. Mastercard reimbursed everything when I returned to the Netherlands, but I was without a card in Thailand for 2 months 🙂
Good to read this. So never lose sight of your debit or credit card when you pay somewhere.
It's nice that you always get a text message in Thailand when you make a payment.
With your foreign credit card you can of course check your debits online every day.
Isn't like the old days where you had to wait for your monthly statements.
It is impossible to track exactly what happens to your credit card. Petrol stations are a good example of this, but even in the larger department stores and restaurants they walk out of sight with your card.
I think it is more a job of the CC company to treat the security code just like the pin and not mention it on the card
I pay the 200 baht for that, every transaction is communicated by text message, which is very practical.
That's why I have 2 Thai bank accounts at the same bank, 1 which I call the mother account, with a high amount and for which the debit card never comes out, and number 2 that is fed from the mother account with what is needed via PC, and for which I have a debit card in my pocket. and for large purchases increase this by the amount necessary, so that too much fraud cannot occur.
So they are not credit cards, but limited debit cards provided there is a balance available.
now I wonder if it wouldn't be safer to cover that cvv code with black ink and just remember it, so less can happen to it.
As a precaution, I only pay cash at a gas station in Thailand, and if possible preferably also appropriately. I do pay with my Kasikorn Debit Card in shops, where I do not lose sight of the card. A scribble, which is rarely checked, on the payment slip is sufficient, so it is indeed important not to lose the card. In hotels, a credit card is regularly requested at check-in. It is not always possible to follow the map there and in the past I once experienced that a number (10 pieces) of purchases were made at I-tunes in Switzerland with my credit card. Only saw it on my payment overview when I was back in the Netherlands. The amounts have been reimbursed by the credit card company. With car rental you almost always need your credit card, I find it annoying that it sometimes takes quite a long time before the reserved amount is canceled after returning the car.
That's why I pay everything (!!) in cash.
I have a new bank card with Bangkok Bank since January. Previously I could always just pay.
With the risk that if I lost them, the person who found them could buy everything with my card until there was no more money in my bank account. With the new card I have to enter my PIN code. So no more risk…
A piece of tape over the CCV code. Do they have to peel it off first and that is noticeable.
You could also remove it, nothing will happen to it in the shops
I pay everything electronically unless somewhere I can't use a card
in the other worlds it's not a problem either so...
Online I have a special credit card with a low ceiling, because they sometimes try
Like David, we also do this in this way. So a main and secondary account.
Nowadays I often check online with my credit card. especially if I have made a payment. And that doesn't only count for Thailand. A long time ago, they made us 8000 euros lighter after an online purchase and it was Mastercard that blocked the card. We ourselves had no idea. Until we couldn't pay anymore. After 2 months everything is back on the account, but still. It can happen anytime and to anyone. Only Now with the app you can check at any time of the day.
Credit card fraud. Some fraud-preventing advice can be found elsewhere.
First is just don't lose sight of the map. Secondly, masking off the security code. No reason why it should be legible. This is only important if you make an electronic payment yourself, i.e. via computer.
It applies all over the world: never lose sight of your pass!
Since that one time in Indonesia, where at the end of the month more than Fl. 12.000,00 was debited while we were already back in the Netherlands, I always stick to that simple rule.
Fortunately, Mastercard immediately compensated the damage.
Even in the USA I walk with the employee to the payment station.
I rarely use cash…I don't get hit on the head either! 😉
You can also get that slap on the head to recover from your pin code if you encounter "interested people".
You also always have to keep an eye on the amount. Last month I was at the airport in Bangkok with Europacar (you would think a reliable company) and had to pay 3252 bath. They ask for your credit card, enter the amount and then ask for your code. At the moment the amount is no longer on the device, but after entering you still have to press OK and luckily what did I see? 4896bath!!!! And I immediately asked where this came from and the teacher simply said: sorry, my mistake. Of course you can always type a number wrong, but all 4!!! So always keep a close eye on the amount and if you ask me, DO NOT rent from Europacar.
ps this is the first time I've experienced something like this.