Nigerian man arrested as police hunt ‘romance scam’ gang

By Jessada Jantararak 
The Nation

 

 

Tourist police are hunting for conspirators in a “romance scam” gang after they arrested a 32-year-old Nigerian who allegedly lured a Thai woman in Lampang province into wiring him nearly Bt100,000.

 

 Tourist Police Bureau deputy commissioner Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakparn said in a press conference yesterday that the suspect, Emery Henry Ogba, was a member of a gang believed to have a monthly income of Bt1 million from illicit operations.

 

Ogba was arrested under an arrest warrant issued by a Lampang Court on March 29 on charges of fraud and overstaying his visa. He was nabbed at a department store in Nonthaburi province on April 21. Police seized Bt42,700 in cash, some ATM cards and bank books, and four mobile phones.

 

Surachet said that one of the conspirators was a Thai woman.

 

“On February 21, a 41-year-old woman filed complaints with police in Lampang’s Koh Ka area that a man who identified himself as Mark Westwood, an American millionaire, befriended with her via Facebook conversations,” he said.

 

 

The suspect used the Facebook photo of another man. After about two months, he said he wanted to send her ฟ a large sum of money and some other items, but he asked her to send him some money to pay tax. A Thai woman then called the woman and convinced her that she was a government official and that she should do what “Westwood” requested.

 

The victim wired him money twice, totalling about Bt97,000. The next time the so-called government office rang her trying to convince her to wire more money, the sound of a baby crying was heard during the telephone conversation.

 

“That made the woman realise that she was being cheated, as a government office should not have a crying baby. Therefore, she alerted police,” Surachet said.

 

Deeper investigations showed that the Nigerian was a member of a “romance scam” operating on Facebook. He variously identified himself as Thomas Anderson, Mike Dave, Bob Frank, Ivan Stogan, Luca Perozi or Chris Benson.

 

Claiming to be a millionaire, he befriended Thai women online and then cheated them out of their money.

 

Surachet said that victims of the Nigerian suspect included the woman in Lampang and three others in Nonthaburi. They said the suspect sneaked into Thailand via Malaysia and had lived here illegally for more than eight years.

 

He had in his possession three fake passports – two from Northern Ireland and one American.

 

Surachet said that the Thai woman who worked alongside the suspect opened bank accounts and helped generate about Bt1 million in monthly income for the gang.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30343705

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-23

Eight years illegally and now another 5 to 8 legally, but ... in jail.

 

Think he'll be able to convince the prison guards he is a rich American Prince and wants to contribute large sums to their retirement accounts??  If they'll just let him go... he'll walk to the nearest ATM and return shortly with the CASH! 

 

Anyhow trying to scam the guards should keep him full time employed for the foreseeable future.

 

Personally I detest people who steal from those who have so little.

 

 

Edited April 22, 20188 yr by Watchful

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

He had in his possession three fake passports – two from Northern Ireland and one American.

Is Northern Ireland now a nationality? I must have missed that news item when they became independent from Great Britain.

 

How about a few dozen years in a Thai jail then deported Personna Non Grata???

Ain´t they a romantic and convincing bunch of guys, thoose sweet nigerians. 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

“That made the woman realise that she was being cheated, as a government office should not have a crying baby.

 

The prime ministers office doesn't seem to have got that memo.

 

 

The victim wired him money twice totaling 97.000 baht, DOH.

Greed begets greed

The baby crying made her realise she was being cheated. 

 

Not how stupid she was..

Edited April 22, 20188 yr by wow64

'' Me love you long time''...

Immigration seems to be very concerned with increased paperwork and documents for valid tourists and retirees.

While these Africans traipse across the boarder and conduct crimes in plain sight. For years?

4 hours ago, webfact said:

They said the suspect sneaked into Thailand via Malaysia and had lived here illegally for more than eight years.

So much for asking people to report there whereabouts every 90 says or so - they seem totally ignorant of the fact - CRIMINALS DON'T REPORT !!!

THERE he is! I've been looking all OVER for that guy, he's been emailing me for years!

2 hours ago, Get Real said:

Ain´t they a romantic and convincing bunch of guys, thoose sweet nigerians. 

they morphed into the net very easily. were they taught or did it come naturally?

 

2 hours ago, taipan1949 said:

How about a few dozen years in a Thai jail then deported Personna Non Grata???

Oh, the naivety:

4 hours ago, webfact said:

They said the suspect sneaked into Thailand via Malaysia

Presumably all of the scams we read about here are reported in the Thai media too so I wonder how Thais can continue to be so gullible. 

 

There should be a major effort to round up all of the Nigerians here on overstay and they need to really tighten up the qualifications for a visa even if some profiling is used.

Amazing they could operate for 8 years being such amateurs, a crying baby, how stupid? and keeping backup passports with you? no safe house? 

1 minute ago, Searat7 said:

even if some profiling is used.

pmsl...please define.

17 minutes ago, wombat said:

they morphed into the net very easily. were they taught or did it come naturally?

 

Yeah, what is it with Nigerians and scamming? I remember the Nigerian Prince scam was running as early as e-mail use started to become the widespread means of communication, back in the 90s?

He variously identified himself as Thomas Anderson, Mike Dave, Bob Frank, Ivan Stogan, Luca Perozi or Chris Benson.

 

Surprised he didn't include 'Ivor Biggun'....

3 hours ago, taipan1949 said:

How about a few dozen years in a Thai jail then deported Personna Non Grata???

The sad part is that he will do just some couple of months in Thai prison and then deported and blacklisted. When deported he will be free. Then again comes another North Ireland passport and he is in Thailand again.

Is Northern Ireland now a nationality? I must have missed that news item when they became independent from Great Britain.
 

Thanks !!
Now post a photo of a NORTHERN Ireland passport !

Thanks !!
Now post a photo of a NORTHERN Ireland passport !

11 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

4 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Is Northern Ireland now a nationality? I must have missed that news item when they became independent from Great Britain.
 

Why post an image of an Irish Passport?

That's the Republic of Ireland, not Northern Ireland - which is part of the United Kingdom.

 

Thanks.
Now you’ve got it .!

Why post an image of an Irish Passport?
That's the Republic of Ireland, not Northern Ireland - which is part of the United Kingdom.
 

Thanks for your correction

41 minutes ago, Searat7 said:

Presumably all of the scams we read about here are reported in the Thai media too so I wonder how Thais can continue to be so gullible. 

 

There should be a major effort to round up all of the Nigerians here on overstay and they need to really tighten up the qualifications for a visa even if some profiling is used.

Why farangs get still scammed by thai women after all the news reported on Thai visa. Some people are always stupid.

Meanwhile that American guy last week got away with waving his cock at little kids and chasing them around naked in the streets. 

Wow 8 years running around with false documentation?? I day late on my 90 day visitation and I am nicked!!

 

Just slice him and dump him in shark infested waters as he knows nothing else apart from criminal activities so please don't waste money and food on this totally despicable excuse for a Mammal! 

29 minutes ago, Tarteso said:

Thanks for your correction

That's OK.

The point I was making in my original post was the wording in the article: "He had in his possession three fake passports – two from Northern Ireland and one American"

 

I was being a little pedantic as it described two of the passports being "from Northern Ireland".

Although the passport could have been issued in Northern Ireland by the Belfast Passport Office, it would have been a British passport (as in a UK passport). There is no Northern Ireland nationality. It is either British or Irish.