Banking Beware of the Fee Free ATM at Defensa and Independencia - Has a Skimmer on it to Steal PIN!

[Starfish]

Just a warning that I used an ATM at the corner of Independencia and Defensa yesterday and it let me withdraw for no fee with my Visa debit card. I thought it was my lucky day as all the other ATM machines are charging me high fees. But it must have had a skimmer or something else to steal my PIN #. Later in the day I had many unauthorized transactions so now it will be a major hassle and I have to get a new ATM card sent to me to Argentina. I don't even know if my bank will do that so I'm going to have it sent to my folks house and then have them Fed Ex it to me.

Better stick to the major bank ATMs. This was kind of dodgy so I thought I'd try it when it said no fee but nothing is free I guess.

 

[Wally]

Merry Christmas! That isn't a good way to start out the new year. Stay away from those little independent ATM machines out on the street. Those are known to have skimmers on them. Stick to major banks that are inside major banks and well lit. I know lots of friends that used them to go to buy stuff on the sunday markets in San Telmo and then later their cards were being used all over. They skimmed the numbers. That's a rookie error for Bueons Aires.

 

[Swowbird]

If you're from the USA just open up a Charles Schwab No Fee Checking account. Greatest thing ever! Unlimited ATM rebate fees. I travel around the world with it. The following month I usually get a few hundred dollars in rebated ATM fees. I've had it for years.

Charles Schwab

www.schwab.com

 

[Spend Thrift]

I always AVOID these sketchy ATM machines that look independent. I used one in Santa Monica once and I had the same thing happen. They even had a sign that said FREE withdrawals or NO FEE to attract people and I figured nothing is free in life. Avoid.

 

[Johnny]

If you're from the USA just open up a Charles Schwab No Fee Checking account. Greatest thing ever! Unlimited ATM rebate fees. I travel around the world with it. The following month I usually get a few hundred dollars in rebated ATM fees. I've had it for years.

Charles Schwab

www.schwab.com

I agree! This card is a must have if you travel around. I use mine all the time. I travel about 75% for work mostly around the USA and most ATM machines charge and they always rebate for any of them. It's great! Always avoid those independent ATM machines.

 

[Silvia]

Yes I use this same ATM machine and it also gave me problems with many charges on Mercado Libre after. I had to change my card.

 

[Vince]

I agree! This card is a must have if you travel around. I use mine all the time. I travel about 75% for work mostly around the USA and most ATM machines charge and they always rebate for any of them. It's great! Always avoid those independent ATM machines.

I've also had this card for many years. A+

 

[Cheap Bastard]

Glad you warned about this. I was going to go and use it. I like FREE! I find it a total rip off that I can't withdraw much money and the banks are all charging a lot of money each time I take out $30 USD!

 

[Uncle Wong]

Thank you! I am desperate as I can't send money to myself with Western Union anymore. I was using it ok but last week it started to give me issues. Both online on my PC and the App. I tried to get someone on the phone and also chat but no one can help me. I tried to send money to myself but it doesn't work. I tried to reset but it won't.

I came to this ATM and I looked to see if it had a skimmer on it but I didn't see anything. Although to be fair I don't know what that might look like. I was able to withdraw 30,000 pesos with no fee.

Please does anyone know other options other than Western Union? I'm really desperate! I can use my foreign credit cards but I am using cash daily too. Plus I rented my Airbnb directly from the owner and we are cutting out Airbnb and I need to pay cash. They are ok letting me pay in pesos at the blue rate.

 

[Betsy Ross]

Thank you! I am desperate as I can't send money to myself with Western Union anymore. I was using it ok but last week it started to give me issues. Both online on my PC and the App. I tried to get someone on the phone and also chat but no one can help me. I tried to send money to myself but it doesn't work. I tried to reset but it won't.

I came to this ATM and I looked to see if it had a skimmer on it but I didn't see anything. Although to be fair I don't know what that might look like. I was able to withdraw 30,000 pesos with no fee.

Please does anyone know other options other than Western Union? I'm really desperate! I can use my foreign credit cards but I am using cash daily too. Plus I rented my Airbnb directly from the owner and we are cutting out Airbnb and I need to pay cash. They are ok letting me pay in pesos at the blue rate.

I'm sorry to hear about your WU issues. I read about it in the other thread. That is happening to some people lately. You need to find a good cueva contact. There are some that will allow you to wire from your USA/Canadian bank to their bank and they will give you the cash in Pesos or USD. Or you can use crypto. But cash is easier. They will charge you a commission.

The other option is go over to Uruguay. You can go to Colonia on the fast ferry and it's very affordable or if you want to go to Montevideo it's a nice city to explore as well and you can take out I believe $1,000 in $100 USD bills. It's very affordable on the Buquebus.

 

[Bobbie Burgers]

Thank you! I am desperate as I can't send money to myself with Western Union anymore. I was using it ok but last week it started to give me issues. Both online on my PC and the App. I tried to get someone on the phone and also chat but no one can help me. I tried to send money to myself but it doesn't work. I tried to reset but it won't.

I came to this ATM and I looked to see if it had a skimmer on it but I didn't see anything. Although to be fair I don't know what that might look like. I was able to withdraw 30,000 pesos with no fee.

Please does anyone know other options other than Western Union? I'm really desperate! I can use my foreign credit cards but I am using cash daily too. Plus I rented my Airbnb directly from the owner and we are cutting out Airbnb and I need to pay cash. They are ok letting me pay in pesos at the blue rate.

Sorry to hear about your issues. But there aren't only Western Union. There are many other companies. I use Remitly, Money Gram and Xoom and they work very well. Also, ask your Airbnb owner if she has an account outside Argentina. She probably does or someone she knows does and ask if you can wire directly. Or at the very least she will have a dependable cueva that she can give you an introduction to. WU isn't the only game in town!

 

[Uncle Wong]

Sorry to hear about your issues. But there aren't only Western Union. There are many other companies. I use Remitly, Money Gram and Xoom and they work very well. Also, ask your Airbnb owner if she has an account outside Argentina. She probably does or someone she knows does and ask if you can wire directly. Or at the very least she will have a dependable cueva that she can give you an introduction to. WU isn't the only game in town!

Thank you so much. I just signed up for Remitly and that works. My airbnb owner gave me her details and that looks easy. The only thing is it says it will take a few days so it's not instant like Western Union but I will play around with it. The Airbnb owner said her mother also has an account in the USA so I can send more that way. Thanks for the advice! It's so confusing here.

And do NOT use this machine!! I just started getting purchases on Mercado Libre! And also for a Kiosko 25 Horas. So definitely there is a skimmer or something to take the card number and PIN code. Do NOT use this ATM machine. It's not worth it. Now I have to cancel this card. I only have 1 other credit card so I hope this doesn't happen again.

 

[Dazed & Confused]

Sorry to hear about your issues. But there aren't only Western Union. There are many other companies. I use Remitly, Money Gram and Xoom and they work very well. Also, ask your Airbnb owner if she has an account outside Argentina. She probably does or someone she knows does and ask if you can wire directly. Or at the very least she will have a dependable cueva that she can give you an introduction to. WU isn't the only game in town!

Try using Remitly. We just used it to send our nice realtor some money for Christmas. It took a few days but he got it with no problems.

 

[Finance Prof]

Funny! Someone should go on the old forum and warn all the users. They have a member that posted AFTER this post on this thread and telling everyone to use that ATM machine as it's FREE. LOL. They may get the shock of their life with fraudulent charges from the skimmer installed.

Proof positive THIS newer forum is the best source of information.

 

[Uncle Wong]

I'm sorry to hear about your WU issues. I read about it in the other thread. That is happening to some people lately. You need to find a good cueva contact. There are some that will allow you to wire from your USA/Canadian bank to their bank and they will give you the cash in Pesos or USD. Or you can use crypto. But cash is easier. They will charge you a commission.

The other option is go over to Uruguay. You can go to Colonia on the fast ferry and it's very affordable or if you want to go to Montevideo it's a nice city to explore as well and you can take out I believe $1,000 in $100 USD bills. It's very affordable on the Buquebus.

Wow I just saw this advice. I didn't even know this was a possibility! I can kill two birds with one stone and get another stamp in my passport. (Although Argentina never stamped my passport. I asked them if they could stamp and they said no).


I saw on Buquebus they have very affordable tickets! Can you tell me how much can I get at one time? I don't need to be in the same branch no? I see they have HSBC and I don't bank with them. Do I just withdraw like usual? That would be great if I can take out $2,500 which should be enough to last me until I leave. I have daily limit of $1,000 a day so maybe I can stay over night and be there 2 days. I would appreciate any advice on this.

Buquebus | ¡Viajá a Uruguay en los mejores Barcos! Pasajes a Colonia, Montevideo y Punta del Este.

Buquebus, compra de pasajes y turismo de Argentina a Uruguay. Buenos Aires a Montevideo. Buenos Aires a Colonia. Buenos Aires a Punta del Este ¡Cuando subís, ya llegaste!

www.buquebus.com

 

[Vero]

Wow I just saw this advice. I didn't even know this was a possibility! I can kill two birds with one stone and get another stamp in my passport. (Although Argentina never stamped my passport. I asked them if they could stamp and they said no).


I saw on Buquebus they have very affordable tickets! Can you tell me how much can I get at one time? I don't need to be in the same branch no? I see they have HSBC and I don't bank with them. Do I just withdraw like usual? That would be great if I can take out $2,500 which should be enough to last me until I leave. I have daily limit of $1,000 a day so maybe I can stay over night and be there 2 days. I would appreciate any advice on this.

Buquebus | ¡Viajá a Uruguay en los mejores Barcos! Pasajes a Colonia, Montevideo y Punta del Este.

Buquebus, compra de pasajes y turismo de Argentina a Uruguay. Buenos Aires a Montevideo. Buenos Aires a Colonia. Buenos Aires a Punta del Este ¡Cuando subís, ya llegaste!

www.buquebus.com

You can call your bank to increase your daily withdrawal limit. Just explain the situation and they can do this over the phone. This happened to my cousins that came here. I gave them my cueva but they didn't feel comfortable wiring first and they needed the money immediately and that would take some time to wire and also to be received and it was quick to go to Colonia. She had a daily withdrawal limit of $1,000 but she called to change it to $4,000 but keep in mind the ATM machines there only let her take out I think $500 USD at a time. So she had to do 6 transactions. She had to do 3 in one ATM and went to another ATM for the rest.

You do NOT need to have a bank account with that bank. Same process to withdraw funds like anywhere. Maybe you want to go in the morning when they refill the ATM machines. Sometimes at the late afternoon they are already out of USD. She stayed 2 days and I think she said she was going to take out more but she already got $4,000 the first day.

I explained to my cousin it was safe to wire to the cueva that I use all the time but she wanted to visit Montevideo once I suggested that option as a back up. She loved Uruguay and she was able to get all the US dollars. So it was a win/win situation for her. She had to pay for some of the ATM withdrawals but she didn't care.

 

[retiredbanker]

Hey there! If you're already familiar with using Western Union, giving Xoom a shot might not be a bad idea. It's pretty similar, and you can use their website. Even better, if you've got a PayPal account, you can do it there since Xoom is part of PayPal. Just log in, look for the "Send cash for pickup to 110 countries" option, pick the country, and enter the amount to check the fees.

Send Money Online | Xoom, a PayPal Service

Transfer money online securely and easily with Xoom and save on money transfer fees. Wire money to a bank account in minutes or pick up cash at thousands of locations.

www.xoom.com

Now, the exchange rate for Xoom isn't as awesome as WU's, sadly. It's 878.40 compared to Western Union's 939.72. But, if you're in a bit of a tight spot, it's not too bad.

To pick up the cash, Xoom is buddies with "Cobro Express" and "Giros Express." You can find their locations on the Xoom website. If you're up for a mini-adventure, another idea is heading to Colonia or Montevideo for some US Dollars as @Vero mentioned. There are places there that take PayPal, Zelle, or crypto transfers and give you dollars in return. It's a bit of a journey, but it can be a fun little getaway.

I've done it a couple of times. Just take the ferry, stay overnight, and enjoy the town. I love this fantastic restaurant called Dos 22 that has great food. Or Sio Sushi and Cocina with good seafood and sushi. You can hit the ATM at Banco República for USD without any fuss. Their fee is around $5 per transaction, and the limit is $600, but you can do multiple transactions.

So, if you're thinking of getting some quick cash, maybe try Xoom with a debit card or take a ferry to Colonia for some adventure and dollars.

You sound pretty desperate for cash so I'm guessing you're not sweating the small stuff like exchange rates and fees between WU and Xoom. Xoom charges $2.99 with a bank account, $4.99 with your PayPal balance, or $8.50 with a debit card. So, you're not looking at too much money. Now, WU for the same amount is charging fees of $8.99, regardless of funding with a bank account or debit card. Xoom is a bit more expensive but not too much in the grand scheme of things.

Quick tip: If you send with a debit card, it should speed things up, like, possibly within minutes. If it's a bank account, you might be waiting a few days.

You can see Xoom Partner locations here:

Partner Locations | Xoom, a PayPal Service

Xoom has thousands of money pickup locations and bank partners worldwide. Find a convenient location where your recipient can pick up their money transfer or a bank partner where they can receive a direct deposit to their bank account.

www.xoom.com

I've been around BA since this summer and the cueva hustle got old real quick for me. If tech is not your jam and Spanish ain't your strong suit (same here), the Colonia ferry is the way to go for a tech-friendly, English-friendly fix. I can barely say hola and chau so I can't just hit up 10 cuevas, asking them through Google Translate how to score some physical dollars for my rent – not my idea of a good time. That's why I'm all about the ferry to Uruguay – easy peasy nice and easy and makes me feel oh so good.

I've done it twice, end of October, end of November, and probably I will go in a few weeks. It's like a little escape with a change of scenery, good eats, and vibes. Colonia's a gem, trust me. Sure, you could do a day trip, but overnight is my jam – less stress with customs and immigration, and it feels like a mini-vacay. Airbnb for the night, hitting up a cool spot like Sushi and Cocina or Dos 22 for delicious food – that's my go-to. Even with ferry tickets and Airbnb, it's probably around the same or a bit more than a cueva, but for me, Colonia is just more fun, even if it means "losing" a day.

Answering your question – getting USD in Colonia is a breeze. Hit up the ATM at Banco República, like a 15-minute walk or a quick taxi from the ferry terminal. My Airbnbs were super close to the bank and the waterfront with all those cute cafes and restaurants.

The ATM at Banco República spits out USD, so just swipe that debit card. During my last visit, it was $5 per transaction, and the limit was $600. I'm with Charles Schwab, and they refund me ALL the ATM fees, so I can pull out $2,400 across four transactions, costing me $0. You shouldn't have trouble grabbing similar amounts, or even more if needed. There are four ATMs inside the bank, so no street exposure, plus armed security or police just a few feet away.

The dollars I've snagged were fresh out of the pack – crisp and clean. If there's a daily limit, I haven't hit it yet. Usually, it's your home bank blocking the move, not the ATM. For instance, my bank's daily withdrawal limit is $800, but I can bump it up to $4,000 through their app. Also, I've got a backup checking account and debit card with another bank, just in case. If anything goes wonky, I can zap funds between banks using Zelle.

The cool thing? One trip to Colonia and I'm set for months, no need for Western. Union, Xoom or cuevas. Time spent there is time saved elsewhere. Plus, having a stash of physical USD is handy. If I need pesos, I hit up the cueva in Palermo Soho right by the park, or I try to use my Visa to stretch those dollars before my next Colonia trip.

I'm sure there are other suggestions out there, but if I were in your shoes needing quick cash, I'd roll with a debit card on Xoom, hope for a same-day deal, or hop on that Colonia ferry tomorrow morning. If you need help with Xoom or anything Colonia-related, hit me up, and I got you!

 

[Elon]

Learn how to buy Dogecoin.

 

[Fingerless]

Hey there! If you're already familiar with using Western Union, giving Xoom a shot might not be a bad idea. It's pretty similar, and you can use their website. Even better, if you've got a PayPal account, you can do it there since Xoom is part of PayPal. Just log in, look for the "Send cash for pickup to 110 countries" option, pick the country, and enter the amount to check the fees.

Send Money Online | Xoom, a PayPal Service

Transfer money online securely and easily with Xoom and save on money transfer fees. Wire money to a bank account in minutes or pick up cash at thousands of locations.

www.xoom.com

Now, the exchange rate for Xoom isn't as awesome as WU's, sadly. It's 878.40 compared to Western Union's 939.72. But, if you're in a bit of a tight spot, it's not too bad.

To pick up the cash, Xoom is buddies with "Cobro Express" and "Giros Express." You can find their locations on the Xoom website. If you're up for a mini-adventure, another idea is heading to Colonia or Montevideo for some US Dollars as @Vero mentioned. There are places there that take PayPal, Zelle, or crypto transfers and give you dollars in return. It's a bit of a journey, but it can be a fun little getaway.

I've done it a couple of times. Just take the ferry, stay overnight, and enjoy the town. I love this fantastic restaurant called Dos 22 that has great food. Or Sio Sushi and Cocina with good seafood and sushi. You can hit the ATM at Banco República for USD without any fuss. Their fee is around $5 per transaction, and the limit is $600, but you can do multiple transactions.

So, if you're thinking of getting some quick cash, maybe try Xoom with a debit card or take a ferry to Colonia for some adventure and dollars.

You sound pretty desperate for cash so I'm guessing you're not sweating the small stuff like exchange rates and fees between WU and Xoom. Xoom charges $2.99 with a bank account, $4.99 with your PayPal balance, or $8.50 with a debit card. So, you're not looking at too much money. Now, WU for the same amount is charging fees of $8.99, regardless of funding with a bank account or debit card. Xoom is a bit more expensive but not too much in the grand scheme of things.

Quick tip: If you send with a debit card, it should speed things up, like, possibly within minutes. If it's a bank account, you might be waiting a few days.

You can see Xoom Partner locations here:

Partner Locations | Xoom, a PayPal Service

Xoom has thousands of money pickup locations and bank partners worldwide. Find a convenient location where your recipient can pick up their money transfer or a bank partner where they can receive a direct deposit to their bank account.

www.xoom.com

I've been around BA since this summer and the cueva hustle got old real quick for me. If tech is not your jam and Spanish ain't your strong suit (same here), the Colonia ferry is the way to go for a tech-friendly, English-friendly fix. I can barely say hola and chau so I can't just hit up 10 cuevas, asking them through Google Translate how to score some physical dollars for my rent – not my idea of a good time. That's why I'm all about the ferry to Uruguay – easy peasy nice and easy and makes me feel oh so good.

I've done it twice, end of October, end of November, and probably I will go in a few weeks. It's like a little escape with a change of scenery, good eats, and vibes. Colonia's a gem, trust me. Sure, you could do a day trip, but overnight is my jam – less stress with customs and immigration, and it feels like a mini-vacay. Airbnb for the night, hitting up a cool spot like Sushi and Cocina or Dos 22 for delicious food – that's my go-to. Even with ferry tickets and Airbnb, it's probably around the same or a bit more than a cueva, but for me, Colonia is just more fun, even if it means "losing" a day.

Answering your question – getting USD in Colonia is a breeze. Hit up the ATM at Banco República, like a 15-minute walk or a quick taxi from the ferry terminal. My Airbnbs were super close to the bank and the waterfront with all those cute cafes and restaurants.

The ATM at Banco República spits out USD, so just swipe that debit card. During my last visit, it was $5 per transaction, and the limit was $600. I'm with Charles Schwab, and they refund me ALL the ATM fees, so I can pull out $2,400 across four transactions, costing me $0. You shouldn't have trouble grabbing similar amounts, or even more if needed. There are four ATMs inside the bank, so no street exposure, plus armed security or police just a few feet away.

The dollars I've snagged were fresh out of the pack – crisp and clean. If there's a daily limit, I haven't hit it yet. Usually, it's your home bank blocking the move, not the ATM. For instance, my bank's daily withdrawal limit is $800, but I can bump it up to $4,000 through their app. Also, I've got a backup checking account and debit card with another bank, just in case. If anything goes wonky, I can zap funds between banks using Zelle.

The cool thing? One trip to Colonia and I'm set for months, no need for Western. Union, Xoom or cuevas. Time spent there is time saved elsewhere. Plus, having a stash of physical USD is handy. If I need pesos, I hit up the cueva in Palermo Soho right by the park, or I try to use my Visa to stretch those dollars before my next Colonia trip.

I'm sure there are other suggestions out there, but if I were in your shoes needing quick cash, I'd roll with a debit card on Xoom, hope for a same-day deal, or hop on that Colonia ferry tomorrow morning. If you need help with Xoom or anything Colonia-related, hit me up, and I got you!

Fabulous and very helpful. I always enjoy a good getaway to Uruguay. Nothing better than taking some R&R and peace and quiet. I like to drink mate there like the locals. It's a great excuse to get away and get some USD.

 

[earlyretirement]

Wonderful information. I agree about Remitly. It works very good. I use it to send money into my own bank account in Argentina. The exchange rate isn't as good as Western Union but the fees are less. So it's not far off. I think you can just get a good contact for a cueva but I know a lot of people would rather not wire first but it's difficult to live in Argentina long term without a good contact for a cueva.

I agree going over the Uruguay is ok for a quick fix. But you have to put a value on your time and all expenses of Buquebus, possible hotel, etc. But it is an easy and nice trip. I formally owned a house in Punta del Este so I'd go over to Uruguay often. These days it's VERY expensive there.