Nine Chinese arrested for alleged amulet fraud

By The Nation

 

 

Nine Chinese were arrested for allegedly indulging in Buddha image and amulet fraud, Immigration Police chief Pol Lt-General Sompong Chingduang said on Friday (December 13).

 

The suspects targeted Chinese tourists by setting up a fake amulet store at a temple in Chonburi. The price ranged from Bt1,000 to more than Bt10,000. 

 

The alleged scammers were suspected to be working in cahoots with tour agents in finding customers for the fake amulet shop. All the accused had entered Thailand on tourist visas and rented the temple store on December 6. Some acted as temple staff to help Chinese visitors participate in the temple ceremony for a price. 

 

Sompong said their alleged fraud had affected Thailand’s image. The Immigration Police transferred their custody to local police for further investigation.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30379414

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-12-13

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What defines a fake amulet?  Buy one and you don't win the lottery it is fake?

Amulet fraud? Oh, that's truly classic. Given that the whole lot of them have no powers whatsoever, whether "genuine" or copy, it would be pretty easy to call the whole thing a total fraud, but the normal vendors of so called non phony ones are too big a business to step on I guess.

ALL these amulets are useless. So the police can close all shops in temples and arrest the monks. Also you can buy exactly the same amulets outside the temples for the half price.

I remember when they were cracking down on fraudulent rabbits feet in the west. A lot of people were caught up in that racket. But these days people can be assured that the rabbits feet they get are truly lucky.

3 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I remember when they were cracking down on fraudulent rabbits feet in the west. A lot of people were caught up in that racket. But these days people can be assured that the rabbits feet they get are truly lucky.

I always wondered how rabbit feet could be lucky.  The donor rabbits certainly weren't lucky.

3 minutes ago, Damrongsak said:

I always wondered how rabbit feet could be lucky.  The donor rabbits certainly weren't lucky.

Are you mocking my culture?

5 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

Are you mocking my culture?

Not unless you are a gypsy.

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Sompong said their alleged fraud had affected Thailand’s image

Here we go again! Look no further than within! Who "lured" them here with visa free entry, they are predicted to be your greatest market for the next 2 decades so get used to Image affected times ahead!  

The  biggest fraud  is the amulets  themselves and the idiots who "believe"  in them

As a someone in the know, most of the highly coveted amulets on offer to the public are fake, mind you, some highly prized amulets can go from few hundred thousand to millions of baht, i remember 30 years ago, most people wore amulets around their necks, not so many now, wonder why... 

23 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Here we go again! Look no further than within! Who "lured" them here with visa free entry, they are predicted to be your greatest market for the next 2 decades so get used to Image affected times ahead!  

You lure them in, we will scam them. 

Thai's are always involved in the scam some where down the line, never no mention of them getting lifted

13 hours ago, Thailand said:

What defines a fake amulet?  Buy one and you don't win the lottery it is fake?

You have lots of traffic accidents and injuries that you would not have if you had a real one

Selling fake amulets is a protected occupation!

Jail them and deport them!!

Got to protect the local industry.

Where is the fraud? amulets are made in China.

2 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Not unless you are a gypsy.

Can you get lucky clothes pegs?

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The alleged scammers were suspected to be working in cahoots with

temple officials who were taking their cut.  These will not be prosecuted as they are Thai.

It's funny how we are now seeing more and more Chinese involved in some type of scam in LOS.... you reap what you sow!!

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Sompong said their alleged fraud had affected Thailand’s image

Sorry Thailand doesn't have an image anymore ... it's gone down the pan.

"We don't sell fake amulets. Ours are ersatz of highest quality."

16 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Amulet fraud? Oh, that's truly classic. Given that the whole lot of them have no powers whatsoever, whether "genuine" or copy, it would be pretty easy to call the whole thing a total fraud, but the normal vendors of so called non phony ones are too big a business to step on I guess.

Some people collect coin, stamp etc. Is a 2 baht stamp value 500,000.

A coin value 100,000? 

A painting value millions USD? 

 

Is that a fraud also? Or just thai amulet?

17 minutes ago, Yinn said:

Some people collect coin, stamp etc. Is a 2 baht stamp value 500,000.

A coin value 100,000? 

A painting value millions USD? 

 

Is that a fraud also? Or just thai amulet?

I fail to see any comparison between rare objects collected, which are done so because they are rare, and whose perceived value is based on that rarity, and an amulet which is sold with the suggestion it has mystical properties which will protect and benefit the owner. One is about collecting desirable and unique things, the other is absolutely ripping off backward and superstitious people. Worse, those who have paid laughable money for an amulet think they have some form of protection against bad luck and danger, which they do not, leading to otherwise avoidable accidents, injury and death. So No. Thai amulets are sold under false pretenses, which is essentially fraud. The only way you can say that about a stamp, coin or painting is if it is a forgery. No one buys a painting after all, believing it will save their life in an accident.

counterfeit magic gets you nowhere.

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

not so many now, wonder why... 

Roadkill,  proof  if  ever they are  junk

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The suspects targeted Chinese tourists by setting up a fake amulet store at a temple in Chonburi. The price ranged from Bt1,000 to more than Bt10,000. 

Don't panic, when the Chinese find out the amulets don't actually work and they can still drown in droves, or get killed in Mini-vans they will stop coming again!

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

I fail to see any comparison between rare objects collected, which are done so because they are rare, and whose perceived value is based on that rarity, 

You know why some amulets are expansive? Rare and age, from where, same coins, stamps, paintings, old toy, etc etc

 

i think you not much knowledge about the amulet market. 

 

Up to you.

6 hours ago, ezzra said:

As a someone in the know, most of the highly coveted amulets on offer to the public are fake, mind you, some highly prized amulets can go from few hundred thousand to millions of baht, i remember 30 years ago, most people wore amulets around their necks, not so many now, wonder why... 

Scared that someone will come on a motorbike and snatch their 1 million baht amulet off their neck I guess.

27 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Scared that someone will come on a motorbike and snatch their 1 million baht amulet off their neck I guess.

 They are scared if they wear it around their neck they will have bad luck, in the form of being robbed for it. They get better luck if you don't take it with you.