Thanks to credit and debit cards, you need not bring a ridiculous amount of cash everytime you travel. The convenience of plastic cards, however, can easily turn into a big nightmare if they fall into the wrong hands.
State-of-the-art thievery is a big business.
With the spread of international fraud, some banks have blocked out entire countries where the frauds occur most often.
So if you are abroad and you suddenly find yourself cashless in front of the ATM machine, you might want to double check before you give up and dismiss the problem as a defect in your plastic.
Recently, various banks have blocked England, Thailand, the Philippines, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Singapore and Japan. Note, though, that each bank use a different criteria when selecting countries.
What should you do?
- Before you head abroad, you might want to check with your bank first. Ask them if your card will work in your destination.
- If the ATM does not work, try an over-the-counter transaction instead.
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