Khao San Road con: Foreign tourist who finds wallet ends up paying for handing it in

[Gecko123]

Not so sure this was a scam in the sense that it's being done repeatedly and the police are "in on it." The scam artist is risking the loss of their wallet, their ID, and whatever cash was in the wallet should the finder decide to pocket the wallet and not turn it in.

 

If it was a scam, you'd know where the wallet was left and you'd be watching to see what the finder did with the wallet after he found it. But in this case, the finder didn't return the wallet to the police station until the next day, so wouldn't that at least suggest that the wallet was genuinely lost? Also, if it was a scam from the outset, why would you leave 1000 baht in the wallet? You could just as easily claim an empty wallet had had 6-7,000 baht in it.

[KhunLA]

6 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Not so sure this was a scam in the sense that it's being done repeatedly and the police are "in on it." The scam artist is risking the loss of their wallet, their ID, and whatever cash was in the wallet should the finder decide to pocket the wallet and not turn it in.

 

If it was a scam, you'd know where the wallet was left and you'd be watching to see what the finder did with the wallet after he found it. But in this case, the finder didn't return the wallet to the police station until the next day, so wouldn't that at least suggest that the wallet was genuinely lost? Also, if it was a scam from the outset, why would you leave 1000 baht in the wallet? You could just as easily claim an empty wallet had had 6-7,000 baht in it.

PoPo making the finder compensate for any lost funds, simply screams scam.

 

'No good deed goes unpunished' 

[RichardColeman]

My wife has told me never pick up a wallet or a credit card in Thailand = just way too risky - told me that when i first married her 7 years ago.  That said, she carried my card and money everywhere now !

[Gecko123]

 

 

2 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

My wife has told me never pick up a wallet or a credit card in Thailand = just way too risky - told me that when i first married her 7 years ago.  That said, she carried my card and money everywhere now !

Did she also tell you to flee the scene if you ever have an automobile accident because a foreigner will always be found to be at fault?

[RichardColeman]

3 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

 

 

Did she also tell you to flee the scene if you ever have an automobile accident because a foreigner will always be found to be at fault?

since neither of us drive , no

[H1w4yR1da]

15 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Not so sure this was a scam in the sense that it's being done repeatedly and the police are "in on it." The scam artist is risking the loss of their wallet, their ID, and whatever cash was in the wallet should the finder decide to pocket the wallet and not turn it in.

 

If it was a scam, you'd know where the wallet was left and you'd be watching to see what the finder did with the wallet after he found it. But in this case, the finder didn't return the wallet to the police station until the next day, so wouldn't that at least suggest that the wallet was genuinely lost? Also, if it was a scam from the outset, why would you leave 1000 baht in the wallet? You could just as easily claim an empty wallet had had 6-7,000 baht in it.

Of course it's a repeated scam. Tourist hands in wallet. Police arrange for a woman to pretend to own the wallet to say there was a large amount of money in it. The police accuse the tourists of stealing and extort them. And repeat.

[zyphodb]

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

If the traders know about the con, it is hard to believe the local cops don't.

They're almost certainly in on it...

 

[Gecko123]

9 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

PoPo making the finder compensate for any lost funds, simply screams scam.

 

'No good deed goes unpunished' 

I doubt the cop told him he had to cough up 6,000. What the cop most likely told them was that this woman is alleging that she had 6,000-7,000 baht in her wallet, which she says is no longer there. We don't know who's telling the truth, but I'm forced to take a police report from her unless you compensate her for the money she is saying she lost. The cops don't have any power to make the guy pay anything.

[LomSak27]

2 hours ago, phetphet said:

Seems like honesty isn't always the best policy.

Either put it back where found, or have a spend up.

Avoid it. Walk away. Do not touch. This scam is done in other places than Khao San Road & other bait can be used. A favorite is a cell phone; I phone or Samsung. When someone sees it, picks it up, whether to take it or try to return, a group suddenly appears and Hey! they caught themselves a thief.  ----- Get out your cash & ATM card, you are going to pay. 

[Gecko123]

Yeah, I see i-phones and Samsung Galaxies lying on the street with long strings attached to them all the time.

[connda]

Let know good deed go unpunished.

[Bday Prang]

3 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Avoid this place.. Question you motivations, sex, drugs? If you are still stupid enough to come during the beautiful Northern summer, just bite the bullet.

Anybody seriously looking for sex would not bother with Khao san rd unless they were looking for fat, loud, and drunken  western women Have you ever actually been there ?

[Andrew Dwyer]

There was a thread on here about 3 years ago, a Portuguese tourist found a backpack left on a bench while waiting for a bus at the airport. It was there for about 15 minutes and when his bus arrived he decided to take it.

I don’t remember exactly what was in the backpack but I think there was a tablet or a laptop.

The next day feeling guilty he took the backpack to the police and admitted finding it thinking he would be deemed a “ good guy “ …… wrong !!

He found himself in IDC and was subsequently deported .

 

 Okay, so not a great comparison with this case, but a good vote for the “ if it’s not yours don’t touch it “ crowd.

[Bday Prang]

54 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

I doubt the cop told him he had to cough up 6,000. What the cop most likely told them was that this woman is alleging that she had 6,000-7,000 baht in her wallet, which she says is no longer there. We don't know who's telling the truth, but I'm forced to take a police report from her unless you compensate her for the money she is saying she lost. The cops don't have any power to make the guy pay anything.

As far as a naïve tourist is concerned the police have the power to do pretty much anything

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, Gecko123 said:

 

 

Did she also tell you to flee the scene if you ever have an automobile accident because a foreigner will always be found to be at fault?

not necessarily bad advice per se !

[OneMoreFarang]

I thought about the situation and asked myself: What would I do?

If I would not ignore the walled then likely I would give it to the next bar/shop whatever next to the place where I found it.

Because if I would lose my wallet then first things I would go back to the place where I though I lost it and maybe I would ask there if anybody saw it.

Would I go to the trouble to bring it to a police station? I don't think so, that is just too much hassle.

[Enzian]

In Paris the Roma pick up a "gold" ring on the side walk near you and ask if it is yours and take it from there. In Italy they unzip your back pack from behind, more direct. 

[LomSak27]

1 hour ago, Gecko123 said:

Yeah, I see i-phones and Samsung Galaxies lying on the street with long strings attached to them all the time.

Strings attached, No clue what you're on about. 

 

However if you do see an unattended phone, go ahead be a responsible citizen pick it up and try and return it. Of course if you are accused of theft and have to buy your way out, you knew this might be a possibility going in. They were playing this game at a local mall half a year back. Made the facebook news too.  
Cheers

 

[taotoo]

This only adds up if the 1,000 baht in the wallet was fake.

[Boomer6969]

1 hour ago, Bday Prang said:

Anybody seriously looking for sex would not bother with Khao san rd unless they were looking for fat, loud, and drunken  western women Have you ever actually been there ?

Have you actually seen in my post the question mark after "sex, drugs" ? It was meant to reveal my uncertainty about what happens in this place where I have indeed never been. The possibilities I have raised, were based on the reputation of this area to attract mostly dodgy backpackers. 

 

But it remains that "real (healthy) backpackers would be way better off hiking the Lake district instead of some degenerate concrete jungle.

[harrycallahan]

Let me get this straight - there's wallets lying around Khao San Rd with 1000B in them, and if you find one and keep the money all you're guilty of is defeating a scammer? ????

[tukadadoll]

5 hours ago, pokerface1 said:

He was dammed if he did and dammed if he didn't hand it in. The lesson in this case is don't touch things that don't belong to you. 

Yes, he would have been followed to find out where he was staying and the police would have arrested him for stealing. In that case I would say the real scam would evolve. That may be 100,000 baht to avoid prosecution. However in most countries, it is theft "Theft by finding", or similar laws. 

 

[Sparktrader]

Take the 1000 baht, leave the wallet. Tell no one.

 

 

[billsmart]

I don' t see how this could be prosecuted anyway. The finder could always suggest someone must have taken the other money before he found the purse. And, even without that, the owner would have to prove somehow that there was that much money in it when they lost it. Just saying so is not good enough. Then, it's just one person's word against another.

[cheapcanuck]

Best to pay the 6K baht. If you get arrested then there are more crooked cops involved.  Hence, multiple that 6K by the number of crooked cops that need to be paid off. It can escalate well over 30K in a very short time.

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

What are the police smoking? Where is the proof? However much was in the wallet was lost anyway?

Once it was handed in the money wasn't "lost anyway".   But you're missing the point, it wasn't "lost" it was a scam.

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

I think I would have told the police that I wasn't going to pay and that they should go ahead and file a police report. If the case was ever actually referred to the prosecutor's office, I doubt they would ever take it to court because of lack of evidence and the chain of custody of the wallet could never be established.

Not many tourists due to return home would be brave enough to do that and risk being locked up here pending a court case if they couldn't bail themselves!

[itsari]

5 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I think the point is that most of us don't want trouble with the police.

Let's assume I would be in that situation and I would be sure that is a scam. Then what?

Tell the police to f$#% off? Or call a lawyer - if we are lucky enough to know one?

Or maybe just pay 6,000B and learn from that experience?

Personally I wouldn't want to pay 6,000B for nothing and I would try to get out of this without paying. But if they would start to arrest me I would pay just to walk away.

Pay and encourage more of the same .Good thinking

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, Henryford said:

Would anyone take 6000 from a lost purse and hand in the remaining 1000? Impossible. Any thief would just take the 7,000. The Police are obviously in on it.

No...really?

[Purdey]

It is good to hear of these scams. Perhaps others in the forum could add more to create a list. I'll kick it off. 

Many places in Thailand will charge you more than locals for the same tourist site.