Card Skimmed in Bali: What Should You Do?

If transactions you didn't make appear after you used an ATM in Bali, freeze the card immediately through your banking app or the number on the back of the card, then report it to your bank and the police. The steps below run in order, from the first minute to getting your money back (checked October 2026).

1. Recognise the signs

• Alerts for withdrawals or purchases you didn't make, often in another city or country, sometimes days after you used the ATM.
• Your balance drops with no alert. In 2021 Bali Police said victims often only noticed when they saw their balance fall.
• At the machine: a card slot that sticks out, is loose or a different colour; a keypad that feels thick; a pinhole or extra panel above the keypad (a camera); a handwritten "ATM broken" note sending you to the machine next door.

2. Block the card within minutes

• Indonesian bank cards: freeze via the mobile banking app, or call the official call centre printed on the back of the card or on the bank's website.
• Foreign cards: use the "freeze/lock card" feature in your bank's app, or call the number on the back of the card. Most banks list a dedicated number for calls from abroad on their official site.
• Don't look up call-centre numbers on Google or social media; fake numbers posing as banks are often used for follow-up scams. Real bank staff never ask for your PIN, OTP or CVV.
• If other cards use the same PIN, change those too.

3. Collect evidence before you forget

• Screenshots of alerts and your account statement.
• The last ATM receipt, the bank that owns the machine, its location (address or minimarket name), date and time.
• Your passport or ID, and the physical card (keep it even after blocking).

4. Dispute the charges with your card issuer

Ask your bank to open an unauthorised-transaction case and note the ticket number. For a foreign Visa/Mastercard credit or debit card, this is a chargeback: your bank reverses the transaction against the ATM owner or merchant. Deadlines differ between banks, so don't wait until you get home.

For Indonesian bank cards, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) stated in 2018 that banks reimburse customers who lose money to skimming, unless the customer handed over their own PIN. If your bank complaint goes nowhere, escalate to OJK via Kontak OJK 157. For payment-system issues such as QRIS, complaints go to Bank Indonesia.

5. Report to the police and get a report letter

Many banks and travel insurers want proof of a police report. Go to the SPKT desk at the nearest Polsek (district police station) or Bali Police headquarters (Polda Bali) on Jl. WR Supratman, Denpasar. Skimming cases in Bali have been handled by Polda Bali's criminal investigation units; ANTARA (2020) reported that the cybercrime unit received skimming complaints from customers in South Kuta. Bring your passport and the evidence from step 3, and ask for a Surat Tanda Penerimaan Laporan (STPL), the police report receipt. If language is a barrier, bring hotel staff or a friend who speaks Indonesian.

6. Use safer ATMs from now on

• Choose ATMs inside bank branches during opening hours, where staff and CCTV watch the machines.
• ATMs in busy minimarkets or malls with CCTV are a second choice. Keep in mind that the 2021 Bali case happened at minimarket ATMs, and 2024 Australian coverage advised tourists to use bank ATMs rather than minimarket ones.
• Avoid standalone ATM booths on quiet streets, especially at night.
• Cover the keypad with your hand when entering your PIN, turn on alerts for every transaction and set a low daily limit.
• Carry one travel card with only the balance you need, and pay by QRIS or tap where you can so you visit ATMs less often.

Reported cases

• December 2021: Polda Bali's criminal investigation directorate arrested two Turkish nationals and one Ukrainian. A router was placed inside the ATM casing and a camera above the keypad, including at a minimarket ATM in Denpasar and in Ungasan. Six customers lost Rp30-50 million each and one lost Rp326 million (kumparan, 9 December 2021). The two Turkish men were sentenced to 30 months in prison by the Denpasar District Court (ANTARA).
• April 2024: The Nightly (Australia), citing The Bali Sun, reported that a woman was deported from Bali after being accused of fitting skimming devices to ATMs in tourist areas.
• 2025, nationwide: Indonesia's National Criminal Information Centre recorded 14,867 electronic manipulation cases across Indonesia from January to October 2025 (Hukumonline, October 2026).

When this article was written, we found no reports of new skimming arrests in Bali in 2025-2026. That doesn't mean the risk is gone; the method stays the same.

If the machine swallowed your card rather than it being compromised, the steps are different: read ATM Card Swallowed in Bali. For choosing money changers and low-risk ways to pay, see Money Exchange and Payments in Bali.

The small habit that helps most: check your bank alerts every evening while in Bali, because the sooner a strange transaction shows up, the smaller the loss.