Tourism News

Tourism News Phuketwan Tourism News
facebook recommendations

NEWS ALERTS

Sign up now for our News Alert emails and the latest breaking news plus new features.

Click to subscribe

Existing subscribers can unsubscribe here

RSS FEEDS

An Australian and a Briton accused of ATM skimming front the media today

Phuket ATM Expat Scammers 'Stayed in Patong, Skimmed in Karon'

Thursday, April 9, 2015
PHUKET: A British man and an Australian worked together to skim cash from ATMs on the holiday island of Phuket, Thailand Immigration police said today.

Briton Jamie Steven McKee, 31, agreed with his friend Australian Darrin John Williams, 48, to come to Phuket to defraud bank customers, a media conference was told this afternoon at Immigration headquarters in Phuket City.

Banks in Thailand have reacted to a series of attacks by expat skimmers at ATMs and improved security on Phuket.

The pair were arrested in the street in Karon, south of Patong, about 11pm yesterday, near a Thai Commercial Bank ATM.

They were found to be in possession of 40 fake credit cards and a machine used for copying data, an Immigration officer said today. They had 20,000 baht in cash.

According to the officer, Mr McKee brought data about credit cards with him when he flew to Thailand on March 14.

Unusually, Mr Williams entered Thailand not by air but overland through the Ranong checkpoint, on the Thai-Burma border, on March 4.

The two men have confessed, Immigration police say. ''They were staying in rented premises in Patong and chose to attack ATMs in Karon to avoid drawing attention to themselves,'' an officer said.

Comments

Comments have been disabled for this article.

gravatar

It's about time Thai banks issued Chipped ATM cards for free. Not charge everyone 300 Baht for an out of date ATM card.

If they did that, they wouldn't have the hassles.

Posted by Tbs on April 9, 2015 17:48

gravatar

Well done to the banks and BIB for catching these people. Hope they enjoy a long stay in a nice "hotel"

Posted by Discover Thainess on April 9, 2015 18:15

Editor Comment:

Not yet convicted, DT. Innocent until then.

gravatar

I wish PW would follow up on one story a month and see what happens with arrests. You viewings I am sure would go up. Clearly these look like they will be in jail for a few years given the evidence.

Posted by Welcome To Paradise on April 9, 2015 18:16

Editor Comment:

We don't have the resources. Following up in court is cumbersome and difficult.

gravatar

is it anyway to support u for getting the resources?

Posted by frog on April 9, 2015 19:35


Tuesday March 19, 2024
Horizon Karon Beach Resort & Spa

FOLLOW PHUKETWAN

Facebook Twitter