International ATMs, using credit cards

[Arab Nights (imported)]

Pre-pandemic I did a fair amount off travel for my work. I was amazed at how well the system worked to use ATMs and credit cards in pretty far flung countries. Just got back from visiting wife's family in South America. I was disappointed in how things did not work. Probably 2/3 of time my ATM card would not worK, even with North American banks. Ditto credit cards. Some times one would work, sometimes another, sometimes none.

Any financial types here? Is it the whole system or just that country?

[Prudence (imported)]

Wonder if this has anything to do with BRICS? If you were in Brazil, this is probably the issue.

BRICS is a new financial system that some nations have recently started to implement. In a nutshell, they want an alternative to the U.S. Dollar for international trade. The "founding" nations are Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (hence the name). But a handful of other nations have joined on. Google BRICS (or maybe BRICS Financial or BRICS Money), or look up BRICS in Wikipedia, if you want more info on it.

[Losethem (imported)]

Did you notify your financial institution which issued the car that you would be traveling in certain countries? I've known of instances where people were caught off guard and had their cards shut down due to fraud prevention, despite the fact you were not being fraudulent, because the financial institution noticed foreign transactions which are not customary for the customer to be making.

[Paolo]

Good point. Every time I travel anywhere, I have to tell my bank about it, so that the card will not be shut off when used the first time in that location.

[Losethem (imported)]

Good point. Every time I travel anywhere, I have to tell my bank about it, so that the card will not be shut off when used the first time in that location.

FWIW, I've not had that happen when traveling domestically. I can go out to California (more routine for me), or other states just fine, and not have my cards shut off. Of course, maybe it has something to do with my having traveled to all the lower 48 US states and using them at some point... Who knows? I certainly have a history of traveling all over the country.

[WheelyFixed]

I haven't done much traveling in the last several years, so may be out of date, but what I've seen suggested in many places is that if you are going to be doing any sort of traveling outside of your normal pattern, especially if going out of country but even domestically, it is a good idea to let your card company know... Otherwise you can run the risk of getting problems because of their fraud prevention stuff...

I've seen some claims that if you do run into a problem and have not let them know, it can be a real pain convincing them that you are really you and legitimate... If you've let them know, sometimes you will still have an issue, but then when you call, it is more of an "oops" from their end and you get turned back on ASAP... Not sure how true all this is, but I figure it's a no risk thing to tell them... After all they will know you are traveling as soon as you use your card, so no real privacy loss....

WheelyFixed

[Arab Nights (imported)]

Yes. When things did not work well I called my major bank and got bumped up to third level support. Took them a while and they changed something and it seemed to work after that.

[Arab Nights (imported)]

Wonder if this has anything to do with BRICS? If you were in Brazil, this is probably the issue.

BRICS is a new financial system that some nations have recently started to implement. In a nutshell, they want an alternative to the U.S. Dollar for international trade. The "founding" nations are Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (hence the name). But a handful of other nations have joined on. Google BRICS (or maybe BRICS Financial or BRICS Money), or look up BRICS in Wikipedia, if you want more info on it.

Please not the 'BRICS.' I have some experience with the Chinese. I thoroughly enjoyed the Chinese as a people, but they are impossibly secretive. I know two guys who have worked in Russia. They loved the people as individuals, but their system absolutely sucks. Indians on the level of motel owners can be wonderful, but not on the higher levels of society. I went to a conference in Canada partly hosted by the educated class and it was like going to a 1920s KKK presentation. Way too many lies and exaggerations for me to stomach. Be interesting to see how South Africa evolves - if it does. Ah Brazil. I always wanted to go there and get waxed and busted. In the end you should want a system with a modicum of trust and transparency. The West is not perfect, but it is a hell of an improvement on some of those players. Just my impressions.

[Wolf-Pup (imported)]

This came in my email today and it seemed worth adding:

https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/is-that-at ... redit-card

pcmag.com

Is That ATM Safe? 8 Tips to Protect Your Debit or Credit Card

Kim Key

5–6 minutes

The idea of looking for ATM skimmers before you insert your card isn't new. But checking for tampering on a point-of-sale device can be difficult, and until recently, it wasn’t necessary since those devices were usually operated by human employees. Now that more retailers are ditching human cashiers for self-checkout options, there are more chances for thieves to attach credit card skimmers to payment machines and ATMs and steal your money.

For more about the motives and technology behind these kinds of crimes, check out our deep dive into the world of credit card shimming and skimming. To protect yourself from these kinds of attacks on your bank account, read our tips below and keep them in mind whenever you use an unattended payment machine.

How to Spot a Skimmer or Shimmer

People may be waiting in line behind you, but take the time to examine an ATM or other payment machine before you insert your card. You might be able to spot the work of a card skimmer before they make you their latest victim.

1. Is the Machine Damaged?

Check for obvious signs of tampering on the ATM. Examine the speakers, the screen, the card reader, and the keyboard. If something looks different, such as different colors or materials, graphics that aren't aligned correctly, or anything else, don't use that ATM. Additional signs of tampering are holes on the machine’s surface, holographic tape over seams, or bubbles of glue on the machine.

2. Does the Machine Look Different From Nearby Machines?

If you're at a bank, glance at the ATMs nearby and compare them. The photo below shows a credit card skimmer attached to an ATM. The yellow part attached to the card reader slot is the skimming device.

To give another example, if one ATM has a flashing card entry to show where you should insert the ATM card and the other ATM has a plain slot, you know something is wrong. If there are any obvious differences, don't use either one. Instead, report your suspicions to your bank.

3. Does the Machine's Keyboard Feel Weird?

If the keyboard feels a little too thick or it’s slightly off-center, try a different machine. The ATM with an odd keyboard may have been fitted with a PIN-snatching overlay.

4. Are There Any Loose Parts on the Machine?

Payment machines are solidly constructed and generally don't have any loose parts. Pull at protruding parts like the card reader. Make sure the keyboard is securely attached and just one piece. If anything moves when you push at it, don’t use that ATM.

Credit card skimmer attached to an ATM

Even if the ATM or payment machine seems otherwise fine, you may still become a skimming victim. Below are additional tips for staying safe while paying in public.

1. Protect Your PIN

Your PIN is the key to your financial castle. Without your PIN, criminals may be limited in what they can do with your card number. Cover your hand as you enter your PIN. It’s a good idea to always assume that someone is watching when you enter your PIN in a public area, whether via a hidden camera or over your shoulder.

2. Use an Indoor ATM

Criminals usually avoid installing skimmers on ATMs in busy locations since they don't want to be observed installing malicious hardware or collecting the harvested data (although there are always exceptions). Indoor ATMs are generally safer to use than outdoor ones since attackers can access outdoor machines unseen.

Recommended by Our Editors

3. Avoid Using Your Card's Magstripe

Most payment terminals prompt you to insert your chip instead of swiping your card. Do that. If the credit card terminal accepts NFC transactions, you should also consider using Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or Android Pay.

4. Pay Attention to Your Notifications

Banks and credit card companies have fraud detection policies and will reach out to you, usually over the phone or SMS, if they notice something suspicious. If you respond quickly, you may be able to stop attacks before they can affect you, so keep your phone handy.

Use Your Payment Cards Safely

You can examine every inch of every payment machine you encounter and still become a fraud victim. Criminals are always trying new scams to steal your cash. Reporting the crime usually results in swift action from your card issuer or bank, and in some cases, your money may be returned.

Remember, if something doesn't feel right about an ATM or a credit card reader, don't use it. Your bank account will thank you.

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[WheelyFixed]

Reasonable tips, though nothing new... Another one that I heard long ago, that seems like a good idea is to use a CREDIT card issued by someone other than your bank, and avoid using a DEBIT card issued by your bank.... (and don't set up any sort of automatic payment on the credit card)

The logic was that in case of fraud, you have more leverage with a credit card, in that the credit card has to convince you to pay them.... With a debit card, the bank takes the money out of your account FIRST, and you have to convince them to give it back... If you have a questioned charge, the CC company has more of a reason to charge it back to the merchant in order to handle it and make the problem go away, or even just write it off as a fraud loss.... The bank has your money already, so has less incentive to find a solution that gets your money back into your hands...

Of course being careful in the first place is also the best approach....

WheelyFixed