Swede arrested on Koh Chang over $11 million fraud “a really nice guy” and the last person you would think of being a criminal

 

Image: Manager

 

A Swedish man who was arrested this week on Koh Chang over his involvement in a multi million dollar fraud has been described as “a really nice guy” and “just about the last person you would suspect of being involved in anything illegal”.

 

Roger Nils-Jonas Karlsson, 45, was arrested on June 18 by officers from Thailand’s Crime Suppression Division who were acting on information from the authorities in the United States via Interpol.

 

Authorities in the United States say Karlsson was the mastermind behind a huge scam that defrauded more than 3,500 victims of more than $11 million.

 

News of Karlsson’s arrest has sent shockwaves through the not only the expat community in Koh Chang, but also in Pattaya where he was well respected and known to have involvement in several businesses.

 

On Friday, Thaivisa spoke a Pattaya based expat who had numerous business dealings with Karlsson over several years and who said news of the Swede’s arrest came as a real shock.

 

“The company I work for offers a range of services to businesses in the hospitality industry in Thailand”, Pattaya based Dave (an assumed name) explained.

 

“We deal with resorts, bars and restaurants of all sizes throughout Thailand and I’d got to know Roger through him running the Elysium Resort on Koh Chang”.

 

“Before I heard about him getting arrested I’d said Roger was just a really nice guy. He was polite and softly spoken, just a nice fella.

 

“I get to meet a lot of farangs who own bars and resorts in Thailand - people from all walks of life. You hear rumours about different people’s background and what they may or may not be involved in,” Dave said. 

 

“I know full well that some are just crooks and have fled to Thailand and opened some bar, resort or other business”.

 

“But that’s not how I would have described Roger. To be honest with you, he was just about the last person I would have suspected of being involved in anything illegal”.

 

“The only thing that was unusual about him - or perhaps not now that he has just been arrested for a $11 million dollar fraud - is that he was pretty much my only customer who paid for stuff from us often up front, in full”.

 

“Most customers, and I’m even talking the big hotel chains who we deal with, pay 50 perent up front, the rest on completion of the job”. 

 

“But Roger always paid up front, in full. There were never any payment issues with him”.

 

 

 

Karlsson also ran a successful real estate agency in Pattaya, with former staff members telling Thaivisa there was never even the remotest hint of him being involved any untoward.

 

“Maybe he thought he could just hideout on Koh Chang and stay under the radar”, one former staffer said. 

 

When initially questioned by Thai police, Karlsson denied he the fraud, saying he set up a legitimate business which he was forced to close when it experienced huge losses.

 

However, according to documents released by the US Department of Justice Karlsson used websites to communicate false representations to victims in a scheme to defraud potential investors.

 

One website, www.easternmetalsecurities.com, allegedly was registered to a fictitious person and advertised shares in a product called a “Pre Funded Reversed Pension Plan” (PFRPP).  

 

Karlsson allegedly used the website to invite potential investors to purchase shares of the plan for $98 per share in exchange for an eventual payout of 1.15 kilograms of gold per share, even though as of January 2, 2019, 1.15 kilograms of gold was worth more than $45,000.  

 

Karlsson also allegedly advised investors that, in the unlikely event that the gold payout did not happen, he guaranteed to them 97% of the amount they invested. According to the complaint, the government found no evidence of any accounts held by Karlsson that would allow him to pay off the investors. 

 

It is alleged the money invested by victims was then transferred to Karlsson’s personal bank account and used to build the Elysium Resort and other real estate in Pattaya.

 

Karlsson who had lived on Koh Chang for eight years has a Thai wife and child. 

 

He is now in the process of being extradited to the US where he faces up to 40 years in jail and fines in excess of $750,000.
 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-06-23

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Appearing to be an "an all round nice guy" helps to keep these criminals under the radar. This is real life, not the movies. 

The last person you would expect are the ones in uniform but look what happens there but Rog pays upfront with other peoples money so a bit of a shock????

A farang real estate agent in Pattaya found to be a criminal wanted for massive fraud abroad? I'm shocked. Everyone knows that real estate agents are the most respectable and honest of people, just like used-car salesmen.

Why a guy who knows people are looking for him would get involved in high profile businesses, rather than going incognito, is beyond me; that 11m burning a hole in his pocket I suppose, and being Joe Doe isn't very flattering to the ego.

Being nice is the perfect cover for a con man or woman...many pretty and handsome faces hawking worthless pills, cremes, and lotions on TV everyday...

Fraudsters appear to be really nice guys.   Gain the trust of their victims so they will hand over their life savings.

58 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

A farang real estate agent in Pattaya found to be a criminal wanted for massive fraud abroad? I'm shocked. Everyone knows that real estate agents are the most respectable and honest of people, just like used-car salesmen.

... and "financial advisers" ....

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

“a really nice guy” and “just about the last person you would suspect of being involved in anything illegal”.

So he smiled a lot!!!

 

He paid up front b/c he had $11 million of other people’s money.....

 

he is in trouble....

I'm sure people thought Tony Kenway was a nice bloke too.

how come conning 11 million or allegedly doing so only gets a potential fine of 750,000, (excludIng jail)? Take everything he owns and sell it 

18 minutes ago, brianj1964 said:

Take everything he owns and sell it

Probably belongs to his wife....

Have to be watchful of the quiet types ha ha

Partial quote...   "he was pretty much my only customer who paid for stuff from us often up front, in full”

Will he be in a cell next to El chapo,sounds like they could bond with the old glass or cup to the wall tech.

Sociopaths can be extremely plausible, and work at being likeable.

I can still remember an investment adviser who tried to sell me his house. Very likeable, beautiful wife, two children, perfect example of success.

It later turned out he was stealing from the trust accounts of widows. Invested in a brothel, and gambled away the rest on the horses. He went to jail for 18 months. His victims got nothing.

Hey, what about me ?  I'm a real nice guy but am I also under suspicion now ? 

Do I have to change to an ar...hole to be more trustworthy ?

9 hours ago, rooster59 said:

A Swedish man who was arrested this week on Koh Chang over his involvement in a multi million dollar fraud has been described as “a really nice guy” and “just about the last person you would suspect of being involved in anything illegal”.

That's what they also said about Bernie Madoff as I recall.

THE LAST CRIMINAL

 

COMING SOON IN YOU BIG SCREEN

GO TO THE CINEMA

He is not americain citizen so he is guilty 55555

At least his name's not Johnny or Billy!

 

According to an old Swedish friend, Swedish men with names ending in a 'y' have almost always spent time in prison, maybe just a stereotype?!

 

1 hour ago, maximillian said:

Hey, what about me ?  I'm a real nice guy but am I also under suspicion now ? 

Do I have to change to an ar...hole to be more trustworthy ?

Eliminate sugar from your diet. That should work.

They are all nice, how  else can they con people ?  

Strangely the London er who conned his friends in Chiang Nai was a really nice guy as well.