Dutchman from Phuket arrested for ‘Shopping Mall’ app scam

[snoop1130]

Dutchman from Phuket arrested for ‘Shopping Mall’ app scam 

By The Phuket News

 

The arrest of the Dutchman, who had been staying in Kathu, was announced in Bangkok today (Feb 15). Photo:CCBI

 

PHUKET:-- Police are calling for all people who fell prey to the scam rolled out through the ‘Shopping Mall’ app to file reports of how much money they lost to the scheme. Police believe that more than 1,000 people in Phuket and on Koh Samui were duped out of money through the scam.

 

The call for victims to file reports of how much money they lost came today as police announced the arrest of a Dutch national for operating the scam.

 

The Dutchman, named today by police only as “Mr Wesley”, was taken into custody at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok last Thursday night (Feb 11), said Lt Gen Kanchai Khlaikhleung of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB).

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/dutchman-from-phuket-arrested-for-shopping-mall-app-scam -79023.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-02-15

 

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[Bkk Brian]

Good job arresting him, all credit to the police here. He was arrested in Bangkok waiting to board a flight with his Finnish wife and daughter, I just pity what will happen to the child now, I know the embassy should do something but even so.

[Oldie]

Great job but I am afraid that he wasn't the last foreign criminal...  But it is also astonishing how many of them can do business here until they are discovered. 

[ctxa]

Wonderful job of the BiB. That's just the truth. Props to them

 

I hope they find a way to have him transfer most of it if not all the money back to Thailand and give it back to the people he scammed, and then have him face justice for his actions. 

 

Had he stolen the money from a government, meh I wouldn't pity them. But leaving people without a single penny after they invested all their savings into his scam, deserves severe punishment. 

Edited February 15, 2021 by ctxa

[ukrules]

3 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Good job arresting him, all credit to the police here. He was arrested in Bangkok waiting to board a flight with his Finnish wife and daughter, I just pity what will happen to the child now, I know the embassy should do something but even so.

Did they also arrest the wife and daughter?

[RichardColeman]

 

6 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The call for victims to file reports of how much money they lost came today as police announced the arrest of a Dutch national for operating the scam.

And cue scammer about to get scammed - my heart bleeds

[Bkk Brian]

4 hours ago, ukrules said:

Did they also arrest the wife and daughter?

Not sure but I would imagine the wife was detained for questioning?

[prakhonchai nick]

Who were those scammed? Thais, foreigners or a mixture of both?  In this day and age it amazes me that so many people are so gullible. If it appears too good to be true, then it invariably is. Keep clear!

[herwin1234]

26 minutes ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Who were those scammed? Thais, foreigners or a mixture of both?  In this day and age it amazes me that so many people are so gullible. If it appears too good to be true, then it invariably is. Keep clear!

at the end of the original article police indeed advice people to "think" before joining something like that on the internet, and "check" with Google.

 

from the original article i get the impression that it was a ponzi sceme kind of thing, not sure, but usually people KNOW what they are doing and are kind of gambling with their money.

 

its really dumb. i know some (Thai) people falling for the most dumbest and obvious facebook scam with a new facebook friend  ("hello honey, i want to send you a Samsung and gold, but first you need to send money for declaration at the mail") and its UNBELIEVABLE to see the stupidity and greed on ppl's face and fall for it.

 

Anyway, scammers, i despies them deeply, very good job by the Thai police. Jailtime PLEASE!! Including the wife.

[OneMoreFarang]

What BS was it this time that people believed in?

I am sure many of them will look now for the next opportunity to "invest" the rest of their money.

[tompelli]

I know a few Thais that understand that the get rich quick schemes are scams when they get into them. They reckon that "they are smarter than the average buffalo " & aim to make a killing before the sky falls on them.

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Good job arresting him, all credit to the police here. He was arrested in Bangkok waiting to board a flight with his Finnish wife and daughter, I just pity what will happen to the child now, I know the embassy should do something but even so.

If he's a criminal acting in Thailand the embassy can only offer assistance in possibly finding him a lawyer, the rest is up to the courts and they will have little sympathy.

[wavodavo]

2 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Who were those scammed? Thais, foreigners or a mixture of both?  In this day and age it amazes me that so many people are so gullible. If it appears too good to be true, then it invariably is. Keep clear!

An old  saying..A fool and his money soon do part .

[Mike Rodik]

the article here does not even state what he did ... clickbait for other papers ?

[Odisan]

"Dutchman from Phuket..."

No, the Dutch come from the Netherlands, not Phuket.

[Oldie]

33 minutes ago, Mike Rodik said:

the article here does not even state what he did ... clickbait for other papers ?

You have to read the Full Story link. 

[shackleton]

Good news on the Thai Authorities catching this guy while trying to leave the country

Let's hope he gets a punishment that fits the crime  if found guilty

Which sends out a message to others as no doubt there will be 

Of the seriousness of fraud ect in Thailand 

 

[spiekerjozef]

With so many people looking at a screen all day what else did you expect to happen....

[Somtamnication]

Well, he won't be called The Flying Dutchman now!

[fdsa]

lol, that's just a middleman, the creators and owners of the ponzi app are Chinese.

[orchis]

10 hours ago, ukrules said:

Did they also arrest the wife and daughter?

The daughter is about 2 years old.

[salsajapan]

only idiots can be scammed, so I guess that they deserve it !

 

[PETERTHEEATER]

4 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Well, he won't be called The Flying Dutchman now!

Look on the bright side. Where he's going he will have the opportunity to stick his finger in a dyke....

 

[chang1]

1 hour ago, salsajapan said:

only idiots can be scammed, so I guess that they deserve it !

 

 

Wrong 2 times.

[KhunBENQ]

5 hours ago, Mike Rodik said:

the article here does not even state what he did ... clickbait for other papers ?

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1205670-foreigners-at-work-google-translate-giveaway-sounded-alarm-bells-for-some-in-shopping-mall-fraud/

Luring greedy people to an online scam promising multifold profits.

Some think they were not greedy but desparate.

Make up your own mind.

Edited February 16, 2021 by KhunBENQ

[Superlight]

8 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Who were those scammed? Thais, foreigners or a mixture of both?  In this day and age it amazes me that so many people are so gullible. If it appears too good to be true, then it invariably is. Keep clear!

Yes I agree..but his timing was excellent; so many thousands out of work with no chance of income, both Thais and Falang...it was the setting for the perfect scam. But my heart goes out to those who thought they had found a lifeline only to have it snatched away.

[ctxa]

8 hours ago, herwin1234 said:

Anyway, scammers, i despies them deeply, very good job by the Thai police. Jailtime PLEASE!! Including the wife.

The wife might very well have nothing to do with it. Even if she knew something was cooking, she could have been told a half truth. And if she did not participate in that software at all, and doesn’t keep any of the scammed money, I just don’t see any need for her to be jailed, just let her take care of their child as his mother. Cause the child for sure is not to be blamed for what his parents (rather father did). 

Edited February 16, 2021 by ctxa

[chercheur888]

I only wish that the Thai woman (not HiSo) who was/is married to a German Dentist at the time in Chalong and for whom has an arrest warrant been issued in 2016 for cheating me and others of various amounts, would one day be arrested as well. Even with brown encouragements (not given to traffic police) not much happened, except writing off the encouragements as well????

And yes, I switch off my brain at the time as others did too.

[Matreusse]

17 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Good job arresting him, all credit to the police here. He was arrested in Bangkok waiting to board a flight with his Finnish wife and daughter, I just pity what will happen to the child now, I know the embassy should do something but even so.

Perhaps his wife, the child's mother, will continue to look after her.

[Matreusse]

6 hours ago, Mike Rodik said:

the article here does not even state what he did ... clickbait for other papers ?

It's another paper's story, not clickbait!   The clearly indicated link will help you out.