I was in Rio a few weeks ago.

My debit card got hit for $2500 and a credit card got hit for $1000.

The CC company said they noticed my card number being used but with a different number. She explained that they they have noticed an increase in fraud in Brazil and Mexico, She also said a "bad employyee" will take the card have it scanned in a hand held device then they create a new card.

I just talked to two fellow mongers that were there in Jan and Feb. BOTH had fraudalent charges!

Dan

A few places that all 3 frequented.

Monte Carlo, Solarium, Mei Pattaca, HELP and the rest. outside of help.

I know I used both cards at MC's, Sol, MP's...I'm checking to see if I used both at the other two.

I try to only use my credit cards for termas and hotel bills; I pay cash for everything else. I never use debit cards in Rio. Now if a termas had a "bad employee" then I'd be in big trouble because my legitimate charges can be kinda outrageous so trying to sort out a legimite charge & a bogus one would be difficult.

Hopefully, the credit card companies will end up taking the hit not you.

Nomalhombre:
> The CC company said they noticed my card number
> being used but with a different number.

What does this mean? Wouldn't a different number mean a different card?

I was there Nov-Jan and used cards in Solarium and MC, no bogus charges have come up. Yet.

I used mine at every terma there except for Monte Carlo..my cards were not frauded...MC might be the first place I look at then...since I was there the same time you were.

Good post. Thanks for the warning.

Moondog

Like YT, I only use my credit cards at termas and hotels.... So far this has never failed me, but be sure to alert your cc company that you will be making charges in a foreign country, and keep your receipts.

Let us know what happens, Nomal......

I doubt Monte Carlo. Most termas are OK. It is
more likely the Cafe waiters -- MP could be.
I only use CC in the hotel, and use cash at termas.

Bendejo,

I meant to say same numbers but different name.

YT,

It appears that the cc companies and the bank are going to take the hit.

I'm pretty sure it wasn't a terma.

Same thing is happening at Mexican resorts; they scan the card and make a new one, then go shopping where they are not known or sell the cards. I never let my card out of my sight, watch them slide it or imprint it only once, and get it back. The problem in restaurants is that you lose sight of it so that the waiter -and/or- the cashier can scan and clone it. I never pay with a cc at a restaurant. Good luck with the charges.

I had the same thing happen due to card usage in Rio de Janeiro. Following my return to the states, I received notice from my card company that I had exceeded my limit. When I called and inquired about the charges (I had already paid off my charges from the trip), I was informed that charges totalling $18756 had been charged to my card. Interesting, since my card limit was only $10000. All the charges were for airline tickets purchased in Sao Paulo, where I had never been. The card company was very accomodating, and took care of everything after I signed an affidavit. No charges to me at all. The only place I used my card was Meia Pattaca. I paid my hotel with a different card.

Thanks for the update Scarlett.

In November I used the card for the Roiss, Solarium, Monte Carlo, Rio Antigo, and 65. No problems. Sorry to hear about the hassels. btw, does the debit card protect you as well as a credit card ? Someone told me no.

I had my number picked in Costa Rica a few years back. I check my credit card charges every day online at CitiBank. They got almost nothing from using my card in CR, as I called Citibank immediately.

I have used my card on many occasions at various Termas and never had a problem. I've also used it at MP and Help on 10-20 occasions and again never had an issue. Charges at Help show up as "Sobre as Ondas".

I have been to Rio two times in 2004. Used credit cards in Unomo, Solarium, 4x4, Aeroporto. No problem at all.

However, I had a fraudulent charge ($5000) on my ATM/Debit card. The only place I used my ATM/Debit card is at the ATM. There was one incident that the ATM I was using was broken. A guy standing next to me helped me get it out and insert it into another HKBC machine. He had possession of the car for less than 5 seconds and I saw it the whole time. I don't know how he could have duplicated the card during that time.

Another possible explanation is while my wallet and clothes are sitting in the locker of a termas, someone opened the locker and duplicated my debit card. But I wonder why they only duplicated my debit card which is in a hidden compartment of my wallet, and not the 3 platinum credit cards that are right on the folds of the wallet.

In any case, be very careful with your credit and ATM cards while you are in Brazil!

atm cards are fine. however, atm/debit cards should never leave the country in my opinion.

I would bet the "Broken" machine was a fake and the guy "helping" was part of the scam.

The fake machine gets your card and pin while giving you some bogus feedback to make you think it was broken. The shill then "gets" your card out of the machine are returns it to you.

Never accept "help" when dealing with an ATM. Report the card as lost and get your bank to wire you emergency funds and Fed\Ex a replacement card.

My bank was a champ and fixed everything for me within two weeks. I did not suffer any lost, other than wasted time dealing with it. The bank ate all the loses.

I was using the HSBC ATM machines inside a shopping mall. Unless if there is a corrupted HSBC worker, I don't know how they could have rigged the HSBC machine from the outside without getting caught. It was a well lit, high traffic area behind closed glass dorrs and had many security cameras...

Anyway, it was a mystery...

BTW, for security purposes, I have asked them to limite my credit limit on the debit card to $1,000. But the crooks still managed to charge $5000+ before the bank stopped it. So, may be the bank is somehow at fault too... But I can't complain at all. Wells Fargo handled everything extremely courteously.

I watched...actually watched...a similar thing happen in Mexico City with a friends card. First machine seemed to eat the card. Guy helped get the card back. My friend got money out of another machine. Next morning, he was short $2,000 out of his account.

Bank covered it (thank goodness) but a good lesson learned......;

NEVER LET A LOCAL TOUCH YOUR ATM CARD IN A BANK;

NEVER LET THEM TAKE YOUR CARD AT A RESTAURANT OR ANYWHERE ELSE WHERE YOU LOOSE SIGHT OF YOUR CARD;

HOTELS ARE GENERALLY OK;

USE LOCAL CURRENCY WHEREVER POSSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING ELSE.

You aren't in Kansas guys!

In my case, the guy started yepping away in Portugese and just grabbed the card before I had a chance to react. I jumped on him and he quickly inserted the card in the second machine. The whole episode happened in less than 10 seconds.

I think I will take Mitchc's suggestion above. Call the bank and get a pure ATM card, without the debit option. In that case, they have to know the PIN.

Having found this thread food for thought, I just called up Bank of America about the "ATM only" card option. They don't support an ATM/debit card and ATM-only card on the same account, but you can get an ATM-only card for a secondary account (say, a savings account). That might be a good idea - put your mongering cash in a separate savings account, and use an ATM-only card to access that money. Maybe keep your ATM/debit card locked away in the room safe for emergency use only...

Why does one use/have an ATM/Credit card anyway?? One is only asking for trouble.

Get plain ATM cards. Credit cards are about the easiest thing to obtain. Many have online payment capabilities so the fact that they are with a bank/organization that has no account of yours makes for no dificulty.

There is plenty of risk in having the combined card - what's the ofsetting upside?

In my case, the guy started yepping away in Portugese and just grabbed the card before I had a chance to react. I jumped on him and he quickly inserted the card in the second machine. The whole episode happened in less than 10 seconds.

Sex Junkie
I am 100% convinced that what I described is what happened.

I dont think an ATM only card will work? You need the visa/MC in order to the the foreign exchange.
I'm very limited, but I remember a friend with an card without an VISA logo couldn't get peso's out of Mexico, and I did seconds later.
Maybe times has changed but you notice that when you withdraw FX, VISA/MC/AMEX will charge you 1%.
I don't think HSBC will risk their name and have a scam going on, unless a portable POS machine on wheels was placed next to the HSBC for a few hours. But you can tell.
Well, how was the cash missing? Purchases on the VISA or straight withdraws from the ATM's.
Someone having your PIN is like 10,000 to 1.
The only thing I can see is someone at HSBC saw your 16 digit account number and knew it was an US account.
I use my regular VISA/AMEX and I'm very prepared for fraud. Just cancel, and use another one. Let my bank deal with it. I dont pay shit.
Your debit card should only be out when your getting FX, after put it back next to your passport.

CN

Having a check card simply means you can use it as a debit card at a point of sale. Having a Visa/MC tie-in is so you can use it everywhere there is a credit card machine. As for ATMs, you're drawing out of your checking/savings at a bank, thus it's not a point of sale. You don't need a check card for it to work.