How To Avoid ATM
Fraud While Traveling in the Bali Island.
Author, Ekarini
For more info about Bali: Bali Travel Info
For more info about Bali: Bali Travel Info
I was born in Bali, and I always think Bali is a safe place! ( At least 10 years ago). After several years, Bali is not inhabited only by Balinese people. Bali has now become a hot destination for tourists from all over the world. At the same time Bali has also become a hot destination for those criminals from outside Bali. ATM is a hot spot beside pickpocket.
My family and I use an ATM machine regularly… We never have any problem until the incident on February 2017. Normally, we only used the visa ATM machine installed by BCA bank, which is we never have problems. On this February, we used an ATM machine anywhere, including tourist hot spot and grocery stores all over Bali island.
So, We lost our money by using the card in front of one of the grocery stores in Sanur. We lost about $200 total. There is no one can solve the problem. This incident does intrigue me share with others, and I hope this incident has never happened to others.
We thought getting money out of the ATM is a better deal than going to a money changer. The rate exchange money changer to another is always different.
What’s the “bad guys” want when it comes to ATM fraud. They
want two things:
1.
They want your card number
2.
They want your PIN number
How does the bad guy
steal your card information:
Please read here a link to a story on
trustfoundry.net about ATM skimmers. These are basically devices
which record your card information by installing an external device on the ATM
machine. In order for someone to take advantage of your ATM card in a useful
way, they need both the card number, as well as the PIN.
According
to the article I read, this is often done using two devices:
- A skimmer in the
card slot, which records your card information
But
they also need your PIN, so there’s typically either a hidden camera (which
records you type-in the code) or a PIN pad overlay (basically a pad
which is placed on top of the normal PIN pad, so that both pads can record
So, how to protect
yourself while traveling to the island?
·
Give the card reader, the keypad, and the privacy shield which
covers the keypad a good yank — skimmers typically snap
into place or are attached with adhesive, so you should be able to easily tell
if something isn’t right
·
Make sure the card goes on smooth — if you enter the
card into the slot and it doesn’t go on smoothly, something isn’t right, and an
external device may be installed
·
Cover your PIN with your hand — this is in case there
are any cameras installed, though it’s not a sure bet, since there could be a
PIN pad overlay, or the camera could be installed just inches from the keypad
·
It is best recommended to use only ATM machine inside of the
bank building (BCA, Bank Mandiri, Citibank, BNI, BRI,.. Etc..) when the
business hour.
“An
ATM in Bali, where the PIN cover snaps right off. As it turned out, it had
a camera installed, so that they could watch you enter your PIN closely, in
addition to the card skimmer. He then reverses engineered the skimmer.”
The
conclusion:
The
ATM machine fraud could happen anywhere, so I am not scared to travel. The only thing I need to learn more and be
cautious for the future transactions.
Watch this video:
Read this:
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