Farang Female Con Artist In Bangkok

[CANA]

Hi,

Just wanted to give people a heads-up about a woman I was recently conned by in the hopes that it doesn't happen to you.

How it started:

(Just for some background, she is a tall, bigger woman in her 40s or 50s. English is her second language (guessing she's Dutch or Danish) and she claims to be from South Africa. She wears baggy pants, t-shirts, runners and a neon green canvas purse. I am a mid-20s teacher living in Bangkok who is also female, Canadian and Catholic [ie gullible and guiltridden])

I was walking on a street near Thewet where I work and this large woman came bolting across the street, asking me if I have a map. I said "No, but I live here, so I can probably help. Where are you trying to go?

She said she was trying to get to some bank I've never heard of. I told her that I'd never heard of it but she might have better luck in a business district like Sukhumvit or Silom. "Can I walk there?" she asked. "I only have 20 baht."

She proceeded to tell me how her money wallet had been nabbed while she was having a cigarette at the airport, waiting to board a flight for Phuket. They got everything, including her passport. The hotel she had been at wouldn't let her back because she had no cards or money. She had missed her flight and now couldn't change it without a 5,000 fee, which she couldn't pay.

I told her I'd be happy to give her 100 or 200 baht to get to another part of the city to get things sorted. She said 'oh I couldn't (but you could tell she could've), so I (dumbly) said, "If things don't work out, here's my number."

She called me later that afternoon saying nothing's been working out and could I please just buy her something to eat. I felt terrible for her, so I agreed.

We met again and she told me it would take three days for the money her mom could send back home to get through a Thai bank here, which means she'd have to sleep on the streets unless she could find her way to the airport, where she could stay until the money came through. She was half-crying, wouldn't stop saying 'thank-you' and was completely believable in general. I kept thinking, "If I was in such a shitty situation, I'd really hope that someone would help me out."

I had brought the South African embassy's address and phone number with and she had quickly told me they only gave her 500 baht and no more and that was yesterday. She said there are no Western Unions in South Africa, the transfer would take at least three days.

I told her I'd give her 1,000 baht to which she could use for guesthouses or getting by at the airport or whatever. I gave her a pack of cigs and a phone card. Then she asked if there was any way she could borrow the 5,000 baht flight transfer fee. To which I said, I'm an extremely lowly paid teacher and that's a lot of cash for me. I couldn't give you that much even if I wanted to. Immediately she apologized for having asked, saying she was so frustrated with Bangkok and by what happened that she just wanted to leave asap.

I, Gosh I'm an idiot, felt bad that she was going to leave Thailand with such a poor impression of the country. We were walking to get a cab for her to go to the airport when suddenly her mother phoned and after a 30-second conversation she said her mom booked a new flight for her to come home, and it was at 8 p.m., and it was 5:30 in BKK. I rushed to get her into a motorcycle taxi and gave her directions from there in hopes she'd get there on time. She quickly grabbed the money and the paper I'd written my email address on as an afterthought.

No word (via email or phone) from her for almost two weeks.

THE RUN-IN

Yesterday I was at the Pinklao Mall, which I never go to, walking across the walkover bridge when I spot who but Amanda, the woman I hadn't heard after handing her 1,000 baht. Immediately I thought '<deleted>' and knew I'd been scammed.

She pretended not to know who I was and rush by. Then she stopped after I yelled her name and reached for her arm. She told me she'd gone to Hong Kong, got a new passport and went to Phuket after all, and just got back into BKK. My veins were boiling. She said she had to go to the bathroom really bad and could I wait for a few minutes.

I'd been duped, knew it quite clearly, yet still gave her the benefit of the doubt by waiting 15 minutes. I think she probably ran as fast as she could to get back in the mall and hide her fat ass.

SO...

If you're approached by a woman with a similar story, don't fall for it. I'm trying not to have fantasies of throwing hot coffee on her face, but I am, and I could have been scammed a lot worse (I'm more disappointedin humanity than the loss of 1,000 bath), but I'm sour and hope, at the least, that she doesn't take advantage of you.

Looking back, there were oh so many signs, I hope you see them if this ever happens to you.

*Apologies for nearly writing a novel over this here

[TAWP]

Alert the police and if you have a cellphone that can take pictures..use it. And post here.

And don't be surprised if some posters here will start to make excuses for the woman and how we all should let her scame in peace...

[leisurely]

That is dreadful. What you did was the opposite. Don't beat yourself up about being kind (and gullible) I am sure that most people would fall for it. I am sure that I would probably have taken her home AND given her the 5k baht she needed.

A good warning to others though.

[libya 115]

It is people like this woman who help destroy people's trust in helping genuine cases. I was scammed out of a few bob by an Australian man next to an ATM who had a good story. I saw him again the next day at a different ATM begging.

This woman sounds like a professional con-merchant. She should be reported to the tourist police. Also, call it kharma or whatever but one day she will meet disaster.

Yes! A photo would be useful!

[Thaicoon]

Not another

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

Hi Cana,

good on you for being a good person. Try not to beat yourself up over it - don't let this stop you being a good natured person... there are not enough of your types around at the moment!

James

[ThaiPauly]

I agree..Dont beat yourself up for being a good person.

She is creating a great deal of bad Karma for herself.....one day it will catch up with her

[Rhys]

A learning in developing your street smarts.. Be careful... next time it will not be just your pride and money.

[Old Man River]

Hi,

Just wanted to give people a heads-up about a woman I was recently conned by in the hopes that it doesn't happen to you.

You really are Canadian.

Many of us have been scamed by one or another, so don't fret about that. I was coming out of a hotel one day, and was approached by a guy who gave another hard luck story. I gave him THB 500 and felt like a prince until I saw him working the same area the next day. Chalk it up to experience. By the way, I was kidding about the Canadian remark. A wonderful country.

[donna]

this kind of stuff makes me sick. you did what you thought was the humane thing to do. this woman is a good actor and should be lined up against meryl streep by the sounds of it.

a friend of mine lives in the phranakorn area close to banglampoo. there is a temple opposite samsen soi 5 and another one on soi 5 wihc is now being used by farang con men and women. scammers for gem shops etc.

these kind of people should be lined up along a filthy stinking klong and pushed in never to be seen again.

[DragonQuest]

I dont trust anyone except for myself, i also have been to pinklao and i seen a farang lady with a round fat ass going to the fitness center, does she have short blondish hair too?, that might of been her, thx for the heads up.

[donna]

oh no i think that was me dragonquest.

EDIT: just kidding - im not blonde

[steves_the_1]

i should get myself over to that temple sounds like a fun afternoon of winding the scum up

[britmaveric]

Unfortunately this is a well known scam, best to just ignore them and be on your way. I had this happen on previous occassion - lady claimed she was mugged, lost everything and wanted to know if she could borrow 10K bht. Well you know better now, so I suppose its a lesson well learned.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

At least it only cost you 1000 baht!

[qualtrough]

Alert the police and if you have a cellphone that can take pictures..use it. And post here.

And don't be surprised if some posters here will start to make excuses for the woman and how we all should let her scame in peace...

You are so right TAWP. There have been similar threads about some farang scumbag who has been doing this for years. Didn't take long for posters to start lecturing others about what a harmless thing it was, there but for the grace of god go you, he might be a addict--the poor dear, ad nauseum...

OP, you sound like a nice person. Like someone said, you got off pretty cheaply, and now your scam-radar will work better the next time someone tries to pull the wool over your eyes.

[Ulysses G.]

That is dreadful. What you did was the opposite. Don't beat yourself up about being kind (and gullible) I am sure that most people would fall for it.

There is a French guy in Chiang Mai who has been pulling this stunt for years.

I hope that there is a special place in hel_l for those who take advantage of the kind-hearted!

[dgoz]

If you're approached by a woman with a similar story, don't fall for it.

aah, thanks for the tip but I really didn't think there was anyone so gullible still left in the world. You're a gem. Please tell us of the next scam you fall for

What you need is your fortune told so it doesn't happen again. There's a couple of Indian fortune tellers that hang around early Suk Rd who do a good job. They're only a few thousand baht but I think for you well worth it.

[JacknDanny]

If you're approached by a woman with a similar story, don't fall for it.

aah, thanks for the tip but I really didn't think there was anyone so gullible still left in the world. You're a gem. Please tell us of the next scam you fall for

What you need is your fortune told so it doesn't happen again. There's a couple of Indian fortune tellers that hang around early Suk Rd who do a good job. They're only a few thousand baht but I think for you well worth it.

A bit unneccassary, dont you think

[Acquiesce]

Cana sounds like a real nice person and it's just a shame that caused her to be duped.

Good on ya Cana and don't let it upset you, i hope she asks me next time so i can have some fun with it.

Cheers.

Edited January 20, 2007 by Acquiesce

[Acquiesce]

I dont trust anyone except for myself

I feel sorry for you, it must be hel_l to be in a perpetual state of mistrust.

[November Rain]

If you're approached by a woman with a similar story, don't fall for it.

aah, thanks for the tip but I really didn't think there was anyone so gullible still left in the world. You're a gem. Please tell us of the next scam you fall for

What you need is your fortune told so it doesn't happen again. There's a couple of Indian fortune tellers that hang around early Suk Rd who do a good job. They're only a few thousand baht but I think for you well worth it.

What is wrong with you? OP is a nice person who tried to help a fellow human being who turned out to be pond scum. We need more people in the world willing to help & far less that will scam them or criticise them for being one of the few "gullible" people left in the world.

[GuestHouse]

My mother met a young Italian guy begging for money at the airport in Delhi, he told her he'd had wallet and all his tickets/moeny stolen and had no money for a meal or a phone call to his family.

My mother gave him what money she could afford, her un used phone cards and her stash of emergency food (my mother is a diabetic and goes nowhere without a stash of goodies for emergencies). The young man thanked her and asked for her address/phone number/email so he could return the money at some time.

Weeks later my mother received a letter from his mother containing the returned cash (in Euros) and a beautiful drawing by the guy who my mother had helped out. The lady wrote and thanked my mother for helping her son, there was also an open invite to visit the family in Italy.

A year later my wife and I moved to Italy and at the first oportunity visited this young man's family. They are really lovely, open and friendly people, our first friends in Italy.

Yes there are scammers about, but the falt is theirs. Giving someone help when you believe they need it is a mark of your humanity, scamming is a mark of the scammer's depravity.

My mother's experience is not a reason to give to people in need of help, rather evidence that there are genuine people out there who do appreciate kindness.

The OP has my admiration for wanting to help, humanity is a strength not a weakness.

Edited January 20, 2007 by GuestHouse

[pumpuiman]

Karma will be good for the OP.

Bad for fat a@@ lady. (her large posterior may be the result of bad karma)

Don't let one bad apple spoil the bunch, people are generally good....and don't forget ....what goes around comes around!!

Edited January 20, 2007 by pumpuiman

[Farma]

I had a middle aged European guy try this trick on me at the airport a couple of years ago. He claimed he lost everything from his luggage and had no money to get home.

I handed him a cigarette and wandered off.

I checked back later and he was still trying it on others.

[slackula]

P.T. Barnum got it right.

[solo siam]

I had a middle aged European guy try this trick on me at the airport a couple of years ago. He claimed he lost everything from his luggage and had no money to get home.

I handed him a cigarette and wandered off.

I checked back later and he was still trying it on others.

How was he supposed to pay his airfare with a cigarette?

[george]

Question is why are the farang beggars doing like this? Just to scam people to be able to stay longer and survive here, or to save up funds for a ticket back home to Farangland?

[girlx]

i helped an english girl named emily like this for 3 months. she used every sob story in the book and i fell for all of them, until other people started pointing out to me that it was a never ending cycle. i got her a job and a house in krabi and left ehr with enough cash to live for a month til she got paid. i got a call from her today with the same sob story, saying her employers had asked her to "go away and leave them alone and never come back". don't blame yourself for trying to help someone. but don't let yourself get duped again either. by the way she is still in krabi and probably heading to the rainbow festival (gag)... don't give her a satang, her parents are loaded an have just given up on her like i have. some people just never learn.

[Farma]

How was he supposed to pay his airfare with a cigarette?

Ben I didn’t realize it was you asking for a cigarette before trying to scam me. I’ll give you the whole pack next time.

BTW you must have made a fortune in cigarettes that day as you certainly asked plenty of people for them. Did you get enough to pay for your flight?