Money change kiosk

[mobeachlovers]

What happened to the kiosk across from Casa Denis?? Are there any left in Cozumel?

 

[El Graduado]

The money exchange shop across the pedestrian street from Casa Denis in the Plaza de Sol building is owned and operated by Adolfo (Fito) Gracia (not Garcia) and is open and functioning. He usually doesn't get there until 10:30 or 11 AM.

 

[mobeachlovers]

Didn't see it yesterday, will look again today

 

[DjDiverDan]

Up until several years ago, little Cambio booths seemed to be everywhere. I remember at least two on the one block pedestrian way running back from the north end of the Plaza, one across from Casa Denis, one back across from the Church. A few running down the other side of the Plaza, a few on Melgar, and one by the little convenience store across from Ernestos. A lot of these seemed to disappear, and Cambios seem to have become rarer. You could always get a better deal exchanging at the banks, but you needed to carry around your passport for that, and the Cambios were very convenient for changing smaller amounts, $20-$100 so you had Pesos for cabs, lunch, whatever. Any idea what happened to the Cambios?

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

In November, there was one across the walk way from the church.

 

[gopbroek]

Up until several years ago, little Cambio booths seemed to be everywhere......
Any idea what happened to the Cambios?

ATM's have squeezed them.

 

[mobeachlovers]

Looked up and down street across from Casa Denis again, still didn't see. Definitely not where it used to be..
Hoped for small bills at Mega but received US dollars back for change...

 

[DjDiverDan]

ATM's have squeezed them.
View attachment 397410

Yeah, I understand why ATMs would squeeze out the little Cambio kiosks. Automation replacing employment everywhere, ATMs replacing human tellers at banks, touch screen ordering replacing wait staff at restaurants, etc. But it bothers me a bit since it's so common in Mexican tourist destinations for ATMs to be hacked, and if you aren't paying attention, it can be hard to know which ATMs you can trust. With a human in a kiosk, you can be pretty certain that if you hand them your dollars, you are going to get Pesos back, and there's no way for your bank account to be accessed and emptied out. With an ATM, unless you are careful to use the right ones, you just might get no Pesos and a ton of aggravation.

 

[mediumone]

Yeah, I understand why ATMs would squeeze out the little Cambio kiosks. Automation replacing employment everywhere, ATMs replacing human tellers at banks, touch screen ordering replacing wait staff at restaurants, etc. But it bothers me a bit since it's so common in Mexican tourist destinations for ATMs to be hacked, and if you aren't paying attention, it can be hard to know which ATMs you can trust. With a human in a kiosk, you can be pretty certain that if you hand them your dollars, you are going to get Pesos back, and there's no way for your bank account to be accessed and emptied out. With an ATM, unless you are careful to use the right ones, you just might get no Pesos and a ton of aggravation.

This horse has been beaten to death.

It is not common for ATM's to be hacked. Making that statement with authority does not make it so. It's fake news.

Use ATM's in a bank, bank foyer, Mega, or Chedraui. If you use those, it is no more common for one of those to be hacked than any one that you might choose to use in Sunnyvale.

Use a Cashola, or some other 3rd party ATM at your own peril. ATM's in Mexico that dispense USD??? Oh Lord, please take me.

 

[DjDiverDan]

It is not common for ATM's to be hacked. Making that statement with authority does not make it so. It's fake news.

Use ATM's in a bank, bank foyer, Mega, or Chedraui.

If you want authority, how about this article from an ATM security expert warning "Don't use the ATMs in Mexico".

When in Mexico, don’t use the ATMs

All you need to do is google "ATMs Hacked in Mexico" to find plenty of evidence that various hacks, from false fronts on legitimate ATMs with card readers and minicams to capture PINs (several of these were found in Puerto Vallarta in 2015) to Bluetooth enabled electronics that transmit ATM Card info and Customer PINs to waiting thieves (a number of these were found in the ATMs in the lobbies of various resorts from Cancun to Playa del Carmen again in 2015), have been used on Mexican ATMs, and not JUST the Casholas. Even Bank ATMs located outside of a Bank, where scammers can attach false fronts with card readers and pinhole video cams HAVE been hacked, not just in Mexico, but in the U.S. as well. Sure, the ATMs in a bank lobby, at the Mega, and at the Chedraui are ALMOST certainly safe (unless the employee of the ATM company was bribed to include malware in the ATM programming, another risk described in various security reports). But those are a small minority of the ATMs available on Cozumel. And not all tourists do their due diligence before heading to Mexico to know that they probably should NOT use the freestanding ATM at the end of the Cruise Ship Pier when they first get off the boat. Your use of the term "fake news" to describe a phenomenon that does exist but that you'd rather ignore is just inappropriate.