ATM
SCAMS IN EUROPE
Keeping Your Money Safe on Europe Travels
Shoulder Surfing, Skimmers and the Lebanese Loop
You’re
traveling in Europe, having a good time but running low on handy
cash. Travelers checques are a thing of the past, and carrying wads
of cash in a wallet is not such a good idea. Now you just walk up to
an ATM
machine, put in your card and get some money. But let’s say you’re
in London, maybe enjoying the buskers entertaining the crowds at Covent
Garden when you need some money. As you step up to the outdoor ATM, a
young couple
step up beside you, they seem vaguely eastern, but a pleasant seeming
young man and his girlfriend. One stands by your left shoulder and the
other your
right. The young man holds up an ATM card, and says this is his first
time in England (or France or wherever). He has never used his card while
traveling,
is not sure how it works and wants to watch how you do it. You politely
tell him that you’d rather they didn’t, but they just keep
hovering close trying to watch until you might put your card in the machine
and put
in your pin number. You tell him to step away, he steps back apologetically,
but his girlfriend keeps trying to edge closer on the other side. This
is the time to just walk away, do not enter your pin with them anywhere
nearby.
If
you enter your pin number where they can see, they will be very polite
and friendly, profusely thank you for being so kind and leave, but
a few moments later while you’re jostled by the busy crowd, someone
will bump into you, ever so lightly. It may be one of them, just wanting
to thank you again, or someone else you may never see. But you’ll soon
discover your pocket has been picked, your wallet with the ATM card gone,
and soon thereafter a good bit of money from your bank account, maybe all
of it. This is one variation of a scam called Shoulder Surfing. This scam
has gotten even more sophisticated, with electronic hand scanners able to
read your card information from the magnetic strip while still inside your
pocket. There
are also techniques to place devices on atm machines to read your card information
and record your pin with a camera.
Many banks in Europe, as well as elsewhere have placed ATM machines within
the secure doors of a building, some requiring you have a valid bank card
to enter after hours. While it is best to look for these, you may be in a
small town, some location where these more protected environments are not
available or just inconveniently running low on money and need the nearest
machine. Some smaller bank owned machines, or private cash machines can be
quite expensive with fees and exchange rate, another form of picking your
pocket. As a first choice, and to pay the lowest exchange rates, try to find
a cash machine which is associated with a major bank, or connected to the
national postal service of the country.
What
US cash cards will work in European bank machines? The ATM bank machines
in Europe will usually have a list of banking networks they accept, like
Maestro, Visa, EC, or Interbank with logos on the machine. Your ATM card
may have the logo of one of these on the back, or not depending on your
bank. Most
US bank
cards
will work with most major European brand bank ATM machines, though there
are some which are more internal national network like a credit union. It
may be hit or miss with these, but if your card isn’t accepted with
one of these, but returned, look for another bank. There are some technical
scams using card skimmers. Devices attached to the machine through which
you are supposed to slide your card before using the machine, or even attached
to the security entrance. These read the information off your card’s
magnetic strip. If you don’t have confidence that a device is official,
be cautious. This will be rare, but be aware. There are also some fake atm
machines. It is probably best to get cash during regular banking hours where
locals are commonly using a machine with no problems.
If the machine doesn’t return your card, it could be a malfunction, but be cautious. There are sophisticated scams called the Lebanese Loop with a number of variations, with devices inserted in the card machine to trap your card. A pleasant friendly helpful Good Samaritan may appear at your shoulder to say this has happened to them before, telling you to try your pin number a couple of times and the card should come out. If you do, your card will not return, the helper will shrug and walk away. If you leave to report the problem to the bank, the scammer will return as soon as you’re out of sight to retrieve the device which has trapped your card.
Europe has become very machine based, with machines for bus tickets, train tickets, parking and all sorts of common activities, often with local language or rules it may be a challenge to figure out. Good Samaritans can truly be just people trying to help out a foreign visitor to their country struggling with a process. Like trying to figure out how many tram zones you need to buy for a ticket. I wouldn’t suggest not giving the benefit of the doubt, but where your bank card is concerned, if you’re uncomfortable and they won’t take “no thank you” for an answer, suggest a policeman might be of assistance. © Bargain Travel Europe
These
articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe
and WLPV, LLC. and
may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
SEE ALSO:
TRAVELING SAFE - MONEY & PACKING
RENTING
A CAR IN EUROPE
EUROPE
HIGH SPEED TRAINS - TGV - ICE
