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"...stay connected to your financial institution." That's nice to hear from a banker. Seems like I'm talking to mine more than anyone else these days, almost daily, or multiple times! But I'm sure in light of things like risks of $thou$and$ in fraud transactions, its worth it for banks to have staff to handle the calls. Funny, they shrunk the in-person availability and now need more phone staff. Appreciate your input jamaicajeanne!
Just to try and get a understanding as to what is going on here. Where is everyone from that is getting scammed, I know there are a few people from the US including Lola. In Canada we have been using the chips in our cards for a couple of years now and I do not recall anyone from here losing money but hard to say because not everyone is showing their country in their profile.
I have been using my debit card and credit card in Negril and have had no issues whatsoever. I use my debit only at the Scotia Bank ATM to withdraw cash and credit cards for my hotels and diners at the nicer restaurants.
Have you used it recently, meinvancouver? I'm trying to figure it all out also... haha
Jenn last time was Nov 2015, we are going back in April and I am not really worried at this point. Have an account with Scotia (Tangerine) and had no problem withdrawing money the past couple of years.
We are from Wisconsin and while I am not blaming Jamaica for the fraud that occurred 5 weeks after our return, I believe that is the source of our fraud - I base that on the fact that both my husband and I had fraudulent activity that occurred on the same dates at St James/Texaco via scotia bank and our debit cards are from two different banks. We don't use ATMs at home, but did use them in Negril. That would be too much of a coincidence for even Vegas to lay odds on:) Also - we both have the chipped cards and only used the cards at ATMS, not at any businesses.
We used my chipped debit card from our little local credit union twice at Scotia Bank ATM at the roundabout and twice at the Times Square ATM, and also a couple of times at an ATM IN MoBay. Happy to report we've been home 2 weeks and no suspicious activity with our checking account. Yay!
mi can't wait till mi reach home to check mi bank balance since mi usually here for 3 months at a time......
mi would recommend checking bank balances while you here.....if you dare......lol
Cool Runnings, Marko
It is not a coincidence, but the Vegas odds would be on the international card authorization service center in Brazil, not Jamaica. All international card transactions in the Caribbean are processed there. It is the regional clearinghouse.
Local cards are not processed through that Brazil center but locally on the island. They are not having this problem. I use my local debit card daily all over the island at ATMs, stores, banks, etc and have seen no problems, nor have anyone I know who use theirs had an issue. But if they use their international cards (Visa/MC/etc), that is when they see it.
It is only when these cards are processed through the Brazil center when the problem occurs. That is one constant in this scam. As some have pointed out, transactions as far have Belgium have taken place after a card was used in the Caribbean. The scammers try to stay one step ahead of the security, which is only as good as the person(s) who designed it.
Keep checking your bank statements and check them online at a secure location - that is always wise advice in this age of almost pure plastic transactions... jamaicajeanne explains it from a banking insiders perspective.
Although I have participated in the "your information is not secure!" conversation on this board, I think it is important to remember that millions of cards are used every day around the world without any issues. I would NOT hesitate to use my cards in most places, I just prefer to bring the cash I think I need and save the cards for any emergency I may encounter. Using cash, helps me to keep my vacation within the budget I have set for myself.
I will continue to advise that you chat with your bank before traveling internationally and know their specific policy. Make an informed decision and remain vigilant over your account. Keep your daily limits low to prevent having your account instantly wiped out and check your account on a regular basis.....being informed helps keep you safer.
Cool runnings!!
In addition to having the number for your bank, carry the number/know the procedure to call to change your debit PIN over the phone. I think this can only be done over the phone.
If you want to use your Credit card as emergency backup for ATM, and never had a PIN for it (or can't find it/need a new one), you can request one, but they are sent to you by MAIL, plan ahead.
Reading MSN this morning and saw this.....
The mastermind of a $55 million computer hacking scheme that pillaged ATM machines all over the world pleaded guilty Tuesday in Brooklyn Federal Court.
Turkish national Ercan Findikoglu is merely a high school graduate, but he was able to attack and breach the computer networks of at least three payment processors for Visa and MasterCard credit and prepaid debit cards.
"I intended to defraud the financial institutions by manipulating the account balances," Findikoglu told Federal Judge Kiyo Matsumoto.
The cybercriminal was able to falsely inflate the balances on the accounts, then he forwarded the account information to "cash crews" standing by in 26 cities from July 2010 to February 2013. Findikoglu carried out the intrusion from his homeland, he told the judge.
When the crew members received the green light, they began making large withdrawals from ATM accounts in which the limits on balances had been lifted, according to court papers.
Thirteen co-conspirators had previously pleaded guilty.
Findikoglu faces up to 14 years in prison when he is sentenced on July 12. He is also on the hook to repay $55 million in restitution to the financial institutions that were ripped off, a $250,000 fine, and will be deported to Turkey after finishing his jail term.
Law enforcement officials said $2.8 million was stolen from cash machines in New York City, making it the biggest single cash theft since the Lufthansa heist carried out by a Mafia crew at Kennedy Airport in 1978.
This is why I stated that the only constant in this latest scam is the processing center in Brazil. Determining the origin of a hack is a very time consuming and difficult thing to do. Especially if the hacker is a talented programmer, as the teenager in the above story was better than the banking transaction processing centers security programmers. This latest scam has all the hallmarks of a new, multi-faceted hack which can be changed when needed. This makes it even harder to detect and eliminate. I am sure that the banks are working together as they did above to catch this latest scam.Quote:
Originally Posted by jamaicajeanne
Quote:
Originally Posted by meinvancouver
Quote:
Originally Posted by BaileysMom
BaileysMom, the ATM's you used, were they reading the chip (which provides a different transaction code each time) or were they only capable of reading the magnetic strip?
First I am very very sorry about what happened. TC are one thing, but i you are here long term and trying to access your monthly deposited funds long term that is not the answer and the ATM card thing has hit me right where I live.Quote:
Originally Posted by yetta
I have Scotia Jamaican and US funds accounts and I am from America .Quote:
Originally Posted by Ras Walleye
both my son and I had our accounts hacked from ATM usage in Negril last Jan. Fortunately our Canadian banks covered the theft but for our next trip, this Nov. we're really not looking forward to holding a pile of cash. Going to look into a Canadian ScotiaBank account & see if its worth the effort. Still, this means a line-up inside the bank instead would prefer if Jamaican ATM owners & police figured it out.
Open a bank account at home and use it as your travel account, and use your primary as a back up. No need to bring loads of cash, however I would bring a little bit and keep it in the room safe as your second back up. Also, I keep my ATM cards in those RFID blocking sleeves and so far have never had a debit card compromised, with travel all over the globe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Velvets
knock on wood
I've reasoned that it is better to use an checking account not connected to other monies ie savings, credit card etc and empty it when you withdraw. I have to use debit cards and avoid withdrawal fees from scotia bank by their partnership with bank of america.
Velvets you are Canadian so very easy to do, just go online to Tangerine Bank and open an account there. The online accounts are free with no fees. You will need to link it to your regular bank account so you can transfer money to your new Tangerine account. When in Negril you can use the Scotia Bank which owns the Tangerine bank and withdraw your money from your Tangerine account for free, just put enough money in it for you to withdraw during your time there. Since there is a limit of money in your Tangerine account you really can't lose a lot of funds.
I have it set up that every month a few hundred dollars go to my tangerine account and becomes my spending money in Negril. Only a few transaction and very easy to monitor for fraud.
I should also add when I was there in May I had depleted the Tangerine account and needed more money :( So logged in online from my phone and transferred money and withdrew it the next day. No Problem Mon!