Romance scams: How one Thai woman sussed out that "Mr Right" was not a British airline pilot!

[webfact]

Romance scams: How one Thai woman sussed out that "Mr Right" was not a British airline pilot!

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Romance scams have been in the news again with police in the north of Thailand arresting two Thai women as part of a 10 million baht scam organised by an African gang in Malaysia. 

 

But now one Thai woman in Khon Kaen in the north east of Thailand has told the Thai media how she used some basic internet savvy to rumble the handsome stranger who introduced himself on Facebook.

 

And how beard growth finally revealed him as an imposter!

 

Most scams involve false profiles and long term chat to hook the victim. After this is done the victim is told that expensive presents have been sent but they have got held up in customs and fees need to be paid. This is where Thai female accomplices posing as customs officials come in to phone the victim and complete the trick providing local bank accounts for transfers so the goods can be released.

 

The woman in this story seemed to know this. 

 

After Darin S., 19, or "Da" got wise to the scam she went on Facebook to warn others.

 

Sanook went to meet her near some government offices in downtown Khon Kaen. 

 

She said that a man using the Facebook site name of Sophia Antonio contacted her. Later they conversed on i_am_Antonio on the Line app.

 

She said that he said at first "I like you" and "You have a nice figure" but she was not interested. 

 

But he persisted and said that he wanted her to come and live with him in London. Things started to get more personal and she started to believe her suitor. He did look very handsome and he sent a picture of himself - a British man who was an airline pilot. 

 

But Da wanted to make sure he was who he said he was. Each time he contacted her she asked him where he was and what time it was there. (One screen shot published by Sanook revealed her asking him what time it was in Paris though it was not explained how the man was typing in Thai).

 

 

He passed that test though it was not much of a test. Anyone could find out almost instantly online the time anywhere in the world, notes Thaivisa. 

 

Conversation then turned to the purchase of gifts that the handsome man said he was getting for his aunt. He wanted to surprise Da too with a gift. 

 

He showed her lots of pictures of the gifts she was soon to receive. One picture in particular caught him out though. Da recognised it as one copied from the internet and not taken by the man himself. 

 

She challenged him on it but he kept up the pretense saying he had taken the picture himself. 

 

But then came the final clincher. 

 

The pilot said he was currently in Dubai and sent a picture - oops, he had grown a thick beard compared to his previous picture!

 

Da contacted him to say that when he sent all the gifts please be sure to pay all the delivery charges and send her evidence that such charges had been paid by him. He said he would and would use a "Fastlink" service in Korean language. 

 

More Google searches revealed many victims who had parted with their money. 

 

Da repeated her warning to her compatriots to be wary of handsome foreigners online bearing gifts. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-11-27

 

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[Rmac442]

Simple if he doesn't want to go on camera using LINE he's a scammer .. and never pay any money for anything ..

[rkidlad]

35 minutes ago, webfact said:

He passed that test though it was not much of a test. Anyone could find out almost instantly online the time anywhere in the world, notes Thaivisa. 

I've just lost minutes of my life reading about how dumb people work out if someone is a scammer or not.

 

It's really not that hard to figure out. 

 

 

[faraday]

Guess she won't be getting her iPhone 13, then.

 

I don't think these ladies are dumb, maybe a little gullible & wanting to believe the nice Nigerian gentleman.

[Surelynot]

Just ask him to explain how an aeroplane can fly upside down....that should do it.

[ezzra]

Most if not all the scammers are of African origin with the help of local scrubber low life...

I used to ask ladies and others i was corresponding with to take a photo with today's newspapers or any other object i nominate to show that they are who they are, worked every time...

[Ventenio]

Online chat in a nutshell:
 

you are pretty

thanks

have kids?

yes

oh

i want marriage and happy life and take care me

oh

you come now?

not sure

i hate liars

ok

can you come now?

send me pictures.

ok

send me more pictures

ok....you come now?

 

block.

 

lol

[sammieuk1]

All British pilots are now Tesco delivery drivers is now the new easy way to spot the scam ????

[OneMoreFarang]

There is an easy solution: Meet offline - problem solved.

[nkg]

51 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

Online chat in a nutshell:
 

you are pretty

thanks

have kids?

yes

oh

i want marriage and happy life and take care me

oh

you come now?

not sure

i hate liars

ok

can you come now?

send me pictures.

ok

send me more pictures

ok....you come now?

 

block.

 

lol

 

That's a surprisingly detailed post ????

 

[Justgrazing]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Da repeated her warning to her compatriots to be wary of

 

Quick growing beards .. 

[Techno Viking]

1 hour ago, nkg said:

 

That's a surprisingly detailed post ????

 

 

Thats almost copy paste of the conversations I have with ladies Iam trying to tune up !!

[Migrosmarket]

This dating forum is pretty good I have to say.

 

Managed to chat to loads of women using the lines given here.......

[Misterwhisper]

Wanna hear the story how I "sussed out" that there was no gravely ill water buffalo?

[faraday]

24 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

Wanna hear the story how I "sussed out" that there was no gravely ill water buffalo?

Yup, go on, spill da beans....

[klauskunkel]

"Da repeated her warning to her compatriots to be wary of handsome foreigners online bearing gifts beards."

[RichardColeman]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

organised by an African gang in Malaysia. 

Come on, is there a positive African story in Asia out there ?  Scam, scam, scam. scam.

[Misterwhisper]

1 hour ago, faraday said:

Yup, go on, spill da beans....

 

Somehow I have a feeling that you may have your very own story about that...

 

Why don't we collaborate on a book titled "Water Buffalos and Other Thai Wildlife"?

[faraday]

18 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

 

Somehow I have a feeling that you may have your very own story about that...

No, I don't.

 

But I do have a story about a bath full of custard, a ladyboy & a goat. ????

 

Sadly though, as this is a "family forum", I won't post it up.

 

Colin was also involved. 

 

@colinneil

[ronaldo0]

Did his guide dog ,shades and white stick give it away ? ????????????

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

Wanna hear the story how I "sussed out" that there was no gravely ill water buffalo?

Nah... 

[Pravda]

I am sure some members on this site fell for the name Sophia Antonio but we'll never know. 

[Misterwhisper]

1 hour ago, faraday said:

No, I don't.

 

But I do have a story about a bath full of custard, a ladyboy & a goat. ????

 

Sadly though, as this is a "family forum", I won't post it up.

 

Colin was also involved. 

 

@colinneil

A goat, custard and Colin... that's quite normal. But... hey!... a... a... a... "thing"???? I am bewildered!

[Destiny1990]

Any chatmate who refuses to open his cam its scam..No need to ask further questions 

[Elkski]

Many gals tried to tell me they can't take a picture now.   I said you have a phone?  Or go 7-11 and have them take a picture of you buying a coke can and email to you so you can send me.   Basically its a slash and burn policy.

[RocketDog]

23 hours ago, rkidlad said:

I've just lost minutes of my life reading about how dumb people work out if someone is a scammer or not.

 

It's really not that hard to figure out. 

 

 

Some Scammers (social engineers), like thieves, are very stupid, but some are very clever and innovative. The clever ones continuously invent and perfect new scams. Once these are revealed and publicized, they move on to new ones while the stupid ones get caught. But no, it is not easy to always work it out. 

 

Also, one necessary component of a successful scam is that the victim WANTS to believe. We all have some such vulnerabilities. It's not uncommon for very intelligent people, including some Scammers themselves, to be victims. 

 

I'm smart enough to know that there are many people in the world smarter than I. 

[NoshowJones]

On 11/27/2020 at 9:33 AM, webfact said:

Romance scams: How one Thai woman sussed out that "Mr Right" was not a British airline pilot!

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Romance scams have been in the news again with police in the north of Thailand arresting two Thai women as part of a 10 million baht scam organised by an African gang in Malaysia. 

 

But now one Thai woman in Khon Kaen in the north east of Thailand has told the Thai media how she used some basic internet savvy to rumble the handsome stranger who introduced himself on Facebook.

 

And how beard growth finally revealed him as an imposter!

 

Most scams involve false profiles and long term chat to hook the victim. After this is done the victim is told that expensive presents have been sent but they have got held up in customs and fees need to be paid. This is where Thai female accomplices posing as customs officials come in to phone the victim and complete the trick providing local bank accounts for transfers so the goods can be released.

 

The woman in this story seemed to know this. 

 

After Darin S., 19, or "Da" got wise to the scam she went on Facebook to warn others.

 

Sanook went to meet her near some government offices in downtown Khon Kaen. 

 

She said that a man using the Facebook site name of Sophia Antonio contacted her. Later they conversed on i_am_Antonio on the Line app.

 

She said that he said at first "I like you" and "You have a nice figure" but she was not interested. 

 

But he persisted and said that he wanted her to come and live with him in London. Things started to get more personal and she started to believe her suitor. He did look very handsome and he sent a picture of himself - a British man who was an airline pilot. 

 

But Da wanted to make sure he was who he said he was. Each time he contacted her she asked him where he was and what time it was there. (One screen shot published by Sanook revealed her asking him what time it was in Paris though it was not explained how the man was typing in Thai).

 

 

He passed that test though it was not much of a test. Anyone could find out almost instantly online the time anywhere in the world, notes Thaivisa. 

 

Conversation then turned to the purchase of gifts that the handsome man said he was getting for his aunt. He wanted to surprise Da too with a gift. 

 

He showed her lots of pictures of the gifts she was soon to receive. One picture in particular caught him out though. Da recognised it as one copied from the internet and not taken by the man himself. 

 

She challenged him on it but he kept up the pretense saying he had taken the picture himself. 

 

But then came the final clincher. 

 

The pilot said he was currently in Dubai and sent a picture - oops, he had grown a thick beard compared to his previous picture!

 

Da contacted him to say that when he sent all the gifts please be sure to pay all the delivery charges and send her evidence that such charges had been paid by him. He said he would and would use a "Fastlink" service in Korean language. 

 

More Google searches revealed many victims who had parted with their money. 

 

Da repeated her warning to her compatriots to be wary of handsome foreigners online bearing gifts. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-11-27

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Looking at the photo he looks very overweight, sure anyone knows that pilots are not allowed to be as overweight as that. You can almost see the big tits under his shirt.

[metisdead]

Some troll posts have been removed. 

[Surelynot]

20 hours ago, faraday said:

No, I don't.

 

But I do have a story about a bath full of custard, a ladyboy & a goat. ????

 

Sadly though, as this is a "family forum", I won't post it up.

 

Colin was also involved. 

 

@colinneil

Is that the same Colin the rock put forward sometime ago as an alternative PM?

[Dave0206]

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Looking at the photo he looks very overweight, sure anyone knows that pilots are not allowed to be as overweight as that. You can almost see the big tits under his shirt.

ok now my dreams of being a pilot are gone if man tits not allowed????????