Internet Cafe's - be careful ... - Thorn Tree travel forum

Internet Cafe's - be careful

Replies: 66 - Last Post: 17-Oct-2007 15:39 Last Post By: JoshCaine

jump to

1
2
3
4
5
Next ›
5

Posted
25-Oct-2004 05:14
by: Soi_Dog

Posts: 229
Registered: 20/11/02

Internet Cafe's - be careful

Heard from a pal on Saturday that he has lost a substantial amount from his internet banking account.

It was transferred from his account to another at the same bank then out to somewhere else. There was even an email from the bank that asked to confirm the transfr but he has never seen it. The people obviously had the password to that, answered in the affirmative then deleted the message.

My first reaction is always to look close to home but he insists no-one else in the world knew the passwords etc and they are no written down anywhere.

It does look like key capturing software was installed on the PC's he was using in the internet cafe. With hindsight we can all be 100% correct but it might be a good idea to use different cafe's each time as they have probably watched him over a few weeks.

This was a major American Bank but i think he will have trouble getting them to return the money. I had about 300GBP go out of mine in small amounts to subscriptions in Russia and my UK bank refunded the money immediately. He will have to convince the bank he was not part of a scheme I suppose.

I wonder what ID the people had to show to open the account they siphoned the money off to?

To add insult to injury he had to pay the Thai police 2000THB to make an enquiry and report he could take to the bank.

The amount concerned would keep a lot on this branch going in Thaland for 10 years.

The inscription on Wood's tomb reads, simply, "He loved Thailand".

Posted
25-Oct-2004 05:49
by: pazu

Posts: 2,102
Registered: 05/02/01

1

I've seen a few computers across Vietnam with key capturing softwares installed.

Extensive FAQ about travel situation and permit restrictions in Tibet
Spinn Cafe, Bar and Tours , Lhasa, Tibet - Your information hub
Spinning in Tibet (ISBN: 9789881805966), published in Hong Kong.

Posted
25-Oct-2004 05:50
by: steve252

Posts: 1,263
Registered: 19/01/01

2

Online banking whilst on the road - steps to take & stuff to bear in mind in order to avoid the problem described above

for South-East Asia: SEAFAQ | Good Causes & Volunteer Opportunities
for The Thorn Tree: enhanced TT search | Firefox TT search & PM plugins

Posted
25-Oct-2004 10:06
by: globe

Posts: 72
Registered: 19/03/01

3

Quote
Online banking whilst on the road - steps to take & stuff to bear in mind in order to avoid the problem described above

i am already practising all the suggested steps at home and on the road. some internet cafe set up their systems such that you are not allowed to delete temp internet files, etc. i make it a point to only check the most frequently used email account and not to do any online banking outside of home. pcs at public libraries maybe "safer".

Posted
25-Oct-2004 10:09
by: Itchybollockov

Posts: 377
Registered: 12/12/02

4

One of the technical areas my employers specialise in is 'Network Security' we have a division that provides networks security advice and solutions to banks, international corporations and the military. A collegue who works in that division repeatedly cautions against using internet banking. He regards it as far too risky.

Posted
25-Oct-2004 12:45
by: Hacky

Posts: 2,787
Registered: 10/09/03

5

Don't use public PCs to access your bank account.

Spyware and keylogger is big problem.

Yim nit-noi.

Posted
25-Oct-2004 13:21
by: Chutney_Belle

Posts: 12
Registered: 03/02/02

6

Hell. I'm stuffed then. I have all sorts of complicated shifting of sums and payments etc going on whilst I'm out of UK and run my business banking online too. Works just fine when I'm using own secure PC. I've never had problems before and have used net cafes in Asia for the last 6 years happily. This thread is making it glaringly clear how easily those accounts could be breached. In fact even I could do it and I'm no expert.

Shit.

Purveyor of wisdom and fancy goods. (Closed Tuesdays)

Posted
25-Oct-2004 13:45
by: JackCoke

Posts: 61
Registered: 23/01/03

7

I have always been afraid of this. I read my email on the road but that's it. I tried to pay for something with PayPal once and they recognized I was out of country and wanted me to take a few security measures by giving extra info. Seems just as stupid to do that if you could be watched.

Posted
25-Oct-2004 13:54
by: toddadams

Posts: 184
Registered: 29/01/03

8

This seems to be a big "told you so" to all those here who seem to have an evangelical opposition to carrying a laptop while traveling. This is one thing you don't have to worry about if you're using your own computer.

Travelogues - Ireland, Italy, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Peru (incl. The Inca Trail in pictures)
Free desktop wallpapers
Take the time to talk to people who can't possibly offer you anything and you'll be amazed at how much you gain.

Posted
25-Oct-2004 14:58
by: Itchybollockov

Posts: 377
Registered: 12/12/02

9

I wish that where true Tods, but the spy software can be sent onto your machine in an email, attachement, music, video etc.

Posted
25-Oct-2004 17:26
by: toddadams

Posts: 184
Registered: 29/01/03

10

True, but in that case it's your own fault. It's not the same as walking into a cybercafe and using a computer you know nothing about.

Posted
25-Oct-2004 20:32
by: Chanchao

Posts: 6,533
Registered: 03/11/00

11

Is my bank really so much brighter than anyone elses in that they send me a paper sheet full of one-time usable codes for every transaction? (This in adition to regular login information and an extra pass-code)

After making a transaction it'll say something like 'Please enter code #73' and unless you type in that code from the sheet then things don't happen.

So people can log keys and passwords all they want, without the codes from that sheet they're not getting a penny.

Another thing that just comes to mind if you're worried about key-loggers getting your passwords would be to carry your passwords on a USB memory stick or even a floppy and open the thing into Notepad and then do a cut and paste. Then the actual password doesn't get logged only a 'Ctrl-X' and a 'Ctrl-C'. Or perhaps typing random characters into a Notepad window and then after that cutting and pasting the characters that make up your password separately. Would have to be mighty fancy logging software to catch that.. (Not impossible tho.. some software records everything that goes on on screen) So... How about:

* Open a Notepad window and move the screen completely off the viewable area.
* Hit Ctrl-O to open a file
* Open the text file with your password off your own floppy disk or Memory stick.
* Hit Ctrl-A to select all text (i.e. the password)
* Hit Ctrl-C to copy the password to the clipboard
* Navigate to the browser window and click the password field to enter the password
* Hit Ctrl-V to paste in the password.

Would that work? I suppose not because a history of the clipboard could be logged/saved as well..

Cheers,
Chanchao

Check out pics and reviews of all kinds of food at chanchao.fotopages.com. Get the Thai Travel Menu, a printable bilingual menu to help you order great food off the beaten path.

Posted
25-Oct-2004 20:38
by: Chanchao

Posts: 6,533
Registered: 03/11/00

12

Steve, I'd say the things I touched on in my previous post are already at least as advanced as what's in your link. What I just wrote has by no means been thought through, but I think the page in your link focuses too much on relatively low risks, i.e. them cracking even 40 bit encryption or something being in between the Internet cafe and your bank, i.e. at the ISP or somewhere in between.

So far I'd say my last suggestion (with moving the Notepad screen off the viewable area and doing a copy-paste) is the best thing yet, and it's NOT perfect at all!

Cheers,
Chanchao

Check out pics and reviews of all kinds of food at chanchao.fotopages.com. Get the Thai Travel Menu, a printable bilingual menu to help you order great food off the beaten path.

Posted
25-Oct-2004 21:12
by: Chanchao

Posts: 6,533
Registered: 03/11/00

13

Well.. so much for the clipboard idea....... :-(

http://www.spytech-web.com/spyagent-features.shtml

The thing logs absolutely anything..

I think the best way would be to bring some anti-keylogging / anti spyware tool with you on a floppy or memory stick.. Found several of those, two that look good so far are 'Keylogger Killer' and 'PrivacyKeyboard'.

With the first one I think a problem will be that internet cafe computers are usually so FULL with ad-ware/spyware that it will find loads of potential threats, making it impossible to see which are the real threats from an online-banking security point of view. At the very least you'd spend an hour to clear a internet cafe computer from spyware; NOT something you'd want to do (and pay for the time at that!)

Cheers,
Chanchao

Check out pics and reviews of all kinds of food at chanchao.fotopages.com. Get the Thai Travel Menu, a printable bilingual menu to help you order great food off the beaten path.

Posted
26-Oct-2004 00:31
by: Soi_Dog

Posts: 229
Registered: 20/11/02

14

Latest news is the guy is still talking to the bank - its the biggest bank in the world by the way. The one that has just had problems in Japan and the one who some disgruntled employees in Lux tolfd the Belgian tax authorities who was hiding money there.

The guy did have a laptop -I bloody sold it to him, but it seems he started using internet cafes as it was more convenient or something (I bet it was the 15/30 minute cutoff in some apartment buildings)

From what I gather it has to be the cafe owner and/or pals.

The guy concerned hardly knew how to log on a short while ago so security precautions would have had him out o his depth. I have worked in IT for 15 years and I know little about security - it a specialty as Itchy says.

The inscription on Wood's tomb reads, simply, "He loved Thailand".

1
2
3
4
5
Next ›
5

Subscribe to the latest messages in this branch.

Your Recent Threads

Announcements

Website speed - Facebook...
Posted By: VenessaP -- 07-Oct-2009 16:30

Latest Community News

	Speaking in Tongues Messages: 66,150 Last message posted at: 22-Nov-2009 18:36
	On Your Bike Messages: 28,934 Last message posted at: 22-Nov-2009 17:26
	Travel Tech Messages: 27,854 Last message posted at: 22-Nov-2009 10:56
	Kids To Go Messages: 25,777 Last message posted at: 22-Nov-2009 14:51
	Like a Sore Thumb Messages: 22,513 Last message posted at: 20-Nov-2009 14:04
	Trekking & Mountaineering Messages: 21,987 Last message posted at: 21-Nov-2009 18:22
	Travel on a shoestring Messages: 20,868 Last message posted at: 22-Nov-2009 19:21

Destinations

Thailand: Destination information

The Kingdom of Thailand draws more visitors than any other country in southeast Asia with its irresistible combination of breathtaking natural beauty, inspiring temples, renowned hospitality, robust c...more »

See » | Map »

Shop Online