Wanted Italian fraudsters who posed as George Clooney arrested in Pattaya

[webfact]

Wanted Italian fraudsters who posed as George Clooney arrested in Pattaya

 

 

A wanted Italian man who is accused of posing as Hollywood movie star George Clooney in order to sell clothes online has been arrested in Pattaya.

 

Francesco Galdelli, 58, and his wife Vanja Goffi, 45 — dubbed the “Italian Bonnie and Clyde” were arrested at a luxury villa in Bang Lamung on Saturday.

 

The pair fled Italy in 2012 after being sentenced to eight years in jail for fraud.

 

One of their scams included the sale of fake Rolex watches online. Rather than sending the luxury watches, the couple would often send boxes containing salt to unsuspecting customers.

 

"During interrogation, Francesco confessed to claiming to be George Clooney and opening a clothes business to trick people into sending money," according to a statement from Thailand's Crime Suppression Division.

 

The arrests came after the authorities in Italy contacted Thailand’s Crime Suppression Division who had the couple under surveillance.

 

The couple had also previously been sued by George Clooney himself who in 2010 told a Milan court they had used his name fraudulently in order to promote a bogus clothing brand called “GC Exclusive by George Clooney.”

 

After moving to Pattaya in 2014, the couple had established themselves as well known and upstanding members of the expat community, with Mr Galdelli was known to regularly donate money to local children’s charities.

 

In 2014, Mr Galdelli was arrested at the Dusit Thani hotel in Pattaya, but was able to abscond after paying a prison guard 20,00 baht.

 

The couple are now being held by police in Pattaya before their extradition to Italy.

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-06-17

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[JimmyTheMook]

Really who gives a fart about Clooney ?

[ezzra]

He'd be a lot more believable to be George Clooney Should he also sold coffee pods...

[Crash999]

What is it about Pattaya that always attracts these types?

[MaxYakov]

Who in their right mind would send money to Clooney, even for an autograph.

[mikebell]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

One of their scams included the sale of fake Rolex watches online.

I know the name of his first customer.

[DoctorG]

George would not be caught dead wearing those clothes pictured above.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The couple are now being held by police in Pattaya before their extradition to Italy.

Better watch the prison guard this time!

[Bob12345]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

He'd be a lot more believable to be George Clooney Should he also sold coffee pods...

He would also be more believable to be George Clooney if he looked like George Clooney a bit, lol.

[mercman24]

as to the watches, i bought a Rolex at Chatuchak market, it kept on stopping then restarting, i missed lots of meetings, dates, etc, i contacted ROLEX to complain, they did not answer, i will never buy a Rolex again.

[The Deerhunter]

7 minutes ago, mercman24 said:

as to the watches, i bought a Rolex at Chatuchak market, it kept on stopping then restarting, i missed lots of meetings, dates, etc, i contacted ROLEX to complain, they did not answer, i will never buy a Rolex again.

Yeah, right!!!

[Emdog]

"..dubbed the “Italian Bonnie and Clyde”"

Who ever dubbed them that doesn't know squat about the real B&C. "Gee Bonnie, if they'd hurry up and invent the internet, we could steal money that way rather than rob banks"

[hellohello123]

haha, its probably not as outrageous as it sounds,

 

thai girls think all farangs look the same and are hansum

[Classic Ray]

Just wondering why his face is not pixellated as per new policy. Is it because he will not face any charges in Thailand? What about the bribery of the guard and escape in 2014? Was he still using his own name in Pattaya, if so who has he been paying off?

TV deserves to know!

[Matzzon]

1 hour ago, Crash999 said:

What is it about Pattaya that always attracts these types?

It´s the high quality of a fantastic family resort with high moral standards.

[hellohello123]

1 hour ago, hellohello123 said:

haha, its probably not as outrageous as it sounds,

 

thai girls think all farangs look the same and are hansum

the number of times ive had chats with thai girls, who say, oh my friend is dating this guy, he looks as hot as richard gere, brad pitt, Bradley cooper, johnny depp , INSERT HOLLYWOOD HUNK

 

and they show me a pic and it almost looks like Steve Buscemis twin

[moe666]

2 hours ago, Crash999 said:

What is it about Pattaya that always attracts these types?

It is a beach town, beach towns always attract the low life no matter where it is.

[Dumbastheycome]

1 hour ago, mercman24 said:

as to the watches, i bought a Rolex at Chatuchak market, it kept on stopping then restarting, i missed lots of meetings, dates, etc, i contacted ROLEX to complain, they did not answer, i will never buy a Rolex again.

I also bought one.I was always ahead of time because it gained 1 hour in every 24 ! lol

[unamazedloso]

Well he aint no george clooney????

[spidermike007]

There is a percentage of the world's population who will do anything in their power to avoid having to work for a living. Most of them have no conscience, and will steal to avoid having to work. Their parents are largely to blame, as they were not raised to have moral, or ethical standards, and we must always be on the lookout for them. 

 

Besides, who sends money to people online anyway? What ever happened to prudence and caution? Why would you send money to someone you came across online? Perhaps to purchase a product or service, with the protection of a credit card. But, otherwise? I hear so many stories of guys who meet a woman online, and before ever meeting her face to face, they start sending her all kinds of money. How naive, and emotionally vulnerable does one have to be to engage in such an act of foolishness? 

[CliffH]

2 hours ago, mercman24 said:

as to the watches, i bought a Rolex at Chatuchak market, it kept on stopping then restarting, i missed lots of meetings, dates, etc, i contacted ROLEX to complain, they did not answer, i will never buy a Rolex again.

You obviously hadn't bought a genuine imitation.

[dallen52]

What!!

No pixels on the face...

Definitely not a George Clooney look alike. 

More like George Bush.....

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

but was able to abscond after paying a prison guard 20,00 baht.

 

L.O.B... land of bribes...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

l

[dallen52]

2 hours ago, The Deerhunter said:

Yeah, right!!!

The two L's is normally a giveaway. 

/ Rollex.

[Caldera]

"One of their scams included the sale of fake Rolex watches online. Rather than sending the luxury watches, the couple would often send boxes containing salt to unsuspecting customers."

 

So they didn't sell fake Rolex watches, then. They sold Rolex watches and sent the customers a pack of salt instead.

[RichardColeman]

I think Bonnie and Clyde had more brains - and Clooney certainly so. Only a complete idiot would be arrested in 2014, pay off someone with 20,000 baht, abscond and then move back to the same community !

[Sir Swagman]

I can totally understand the locals taking this seriously and swooping to nab these miscreants. Impersonating is out of bounds to farangs here, mostly being performed to a high level by police and politicians.

[habanero]

Oh yeah, I can see now how some people could be fooled. ????

[hellohello123]

13 minutes ago, habanero said:

Oh yeah, I can see now how some people could be fooled. ????

I see a lot similarites,

2 eyes

1 nose

1 mouth

2 ears

[monkeycu]

4 hours ago, Crash999 said:

What is it about Pattaya that always attracts these types?

Its the friendly atmosphere of a family resort