Need Answers And Advice With A Problem

[esbobes]

Since this is not alot of money, as you say, you should perhaps give serious consideration to just let it go and chalk it up to experience. You obviously do not know who you're dealing with and this bad situation could get alot worse for you if matters become violent.

Since Damian is a "professional martial artist", I don't think violence is too much of a worry for him.

Maybe Damian should beat himself up for being a big baby and complaining to us

[GuestHouse]

If you know the scammer is advertising on websites, write to the respective moderators explaining your concerns and adding a 'brief' outline of your complaint.

It is not in any legitimate website's interests to allow scammers access to their genuine members.

[meom]

Could the OP explain what the scam was all about for us uninitiated?

[SiamSquare123]

i wonder if this american told him he would luv him long time

[kat]

An American? As a fellow American, I'd expect (and recommend) nothing less than a good ol' American ass beating.

That also makes him VERY easy to track down.....

I'm hoping this is the case.

Yes... Canada loses to The U.S... heh but the games not over! Us Canadians are just way too nice... I really believed his whole story... Im an actor and I gotta say... he's a ###### good one.

Damian

I'm sorry about that unfortunate comment, Damian (*edit: I mean the previous dumb comment about the American being better).

I hope you are able to SAFELY seek some form of justice and closure. I was robbed of everything in Indonesia by a pickpocket gang, and for awhile my revenge fantasies had me going back as an undercover journalist and luring them back to pickpocet me. I was going to stuff my wallet with fake money laced with chemicals that caused a rash.

But, in the end, <deleted> 'em. The whole bus company and fake police were in on it, except for one very qualified police captain. As you said, it wasn't a lot of money, so consider the loss the price of a very important lesson. I would also warn the websites, as Guesthouse advised above. See what else you can do through police enforcement here, but don't invest much stock in that route.

Edited July 21, 2007 by kat

[Netfan]

Could the OP explain what the scam was all about for us uninitiated?

Agree. This would be a big help in protecting others and in what kind of advice would be helpful to the OP. To just forget this as a lesson learned is just what the scammer wants. If he rips off 1,000 people for just 1,000 baht each he's got 1,000,000 baht, if my math is right.

BTW, how do you know its an American? Did you speak with him?

[DamianMavis]

Since this is not alot of money, as you say, you should perhaps give serious consideration to just let it go and chalk it up to experience. You obviously do not know who you're dealing with and this bad situation could get alot worse for you if matters become violent.

Since Damian is a "professional martial artist", I don't think violence is too much of a worry for him.

Maybe Damian should beat himself up for being a big baby and complaining to us

Dont know why I'm bothering but: I wanted information in order to do something about this, and so far I've gotten some great advice, I knew I was humiliating myself by admitting I fell for a stupid scam by trusting a stranger and I am beating myself up over this but I wanted the info more than I wanted to hide my stupidity.

For those that want to know the details I can only tell you the parts that dont include names as its against forum policy, if you want names then message me. I pm'd someone that was advertising in classifieds that I was interested in his advertised sale and he called me back. He gave me a great story about his life and just moving here and that he was selling this stuff cheap for what seemed like a valid reason... but he wanted a deposit before he would send the item to my city and then I could pay the remainder when it arrived..... it was rushed because he smartly made it look like there was a rush as other buyers were interested. So I rushed and put a deposit in his account, then all communication was cut off and now his answering machine answers his mobile permanently. Ya I made a judgement call and it was the wrong one, he was very convincing on the phone, good for him, he's good at what he does. The item cost much more than the deposit, thats why his plan works so well, its not too much money hes asking for the deposit so it wont scare people away easily and if you ask him to lower the required deposit he says sure whatever you're comfortable with. bleh, Im a dummy.

Damian

Edited July 21, 2007 by DamianMavis

[DamianMavis]

If you know the scammer is advertising on websites, write to the respective moderators explaining your concerns and adding a 'brief' outline of your complaint.

It is not in any legitimate website's interests to allow scammers access to their genuine members.

Ya I already got his other 2 ads on 2 other sites deleted. A small victory.

Yes I spoke to him and I can listen to his voice anytime by calling his number and getting his answering machine. He could be Canadian actually, he said he was american but we all sound the same in North America not including the coastal accents and down south.

Damian

[Maestro]

...explain what the scam was all about for us uninitiated?

Meom, it was an advertisement for two Sony Vaio notebooks in the Free Classifieds section of ThaiVisa. The ad was removed after Damian brought his misfortune to the attention of a moderator, and the member in question has been banned.

Members are advised to read the Thai Visa Classified Ads Forum rules.

--

Maestro

P.S. Just now I see that Damian posted details above of how he got scammed. I join in wishing him good luck in recovering the advance payment he made.

[UnknownPoster]

Find the guy and take the money out of his pocket. Make it double, since he caused you the grief.

The motorcycle taxis at the end of my street charge 100bt per kick they tell me....

[Netfan]

For what its worth,I don't think you're stupid for going for the scam. The guy knows what he is doing. And there is a certain amount of trust (although a lot less now) in ad on TV. Good luck whichever way you decide. Personally I hope you go after him and get your money and a little revenge. You also probably saved a few more people from being ripped off, either by this guy or similar scams, by starting the thread.

[vermin on arrival]

I think Damian has done us all a favor by making this post. He's actually gotten the scammers ad removed from 3 websites which has potentially protected other TV members, etc from being ripped off by this guy. It really astounds me that anyone would criticize him for this. Thanks for giving us all the details.

I also think it was smart of him to try and get advice from as large a group of people as possible. We all know how hard it can be to get some form of justice/redress in countries such as Thailand. However, when you have such a diverse pool of members as you have on TV, with many having lived in Thailand or other parts of the 3rd world for decades, you can get some real constructive advice.

Don't feel bad Damian. We've all gotten screwed sometime. We just don't usually expose it on a public website. It took guts to admit it here. Hope you can somehow get the cash back.

[girlx]

I am not saying I do not believe you , but a police officer just will do his job especially crimes on the internet these days .

Unless the scam you are talking about is something which will make your case in doubt with the police in a personal way .

When my dog was poisoned the police even investigated , when people steal something they make a point .

ha! such naivete! the police don't give a crap unless there is something in it for them, is my experience.

[sbk]

One thing to bear in mind is that scammers will still scam, regardless of whether or not an account gets banned here they can always come up with a new name.

So, keep an eye out for anything that appears fishy, do not send large amounts of money to a brand new member without getting your hands on the product first. If it appears to good to be true, then it most likely is.

[cooL_guY_corY]

bah just pay the 5000 baht to the mocy kids and get him sent to the hospital with minimum broken legs. getting ripped off by another foreigner (jesus especially an american ) is totally unacceptable. make him pay

Edited July 22, 2007 by cooL_guY_corY

[DamianMavis]

Thanks alot for the support guys.

This is so true SBK, if it's a good deal, get really wary.

Damian

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

No shame whatsoever in falling for this scam Damian, and respect to you for sticking your neck out to save more people from potential grief.

I hope the amount you paid wasn't too much. From here on out, my advice would be to congratulate yourself on helping bring this scumbag's plans to light and to let it go - no need to waste more negativity on it... life is way too short my man. I know it's easy to say this when it hasn't happened to you directly, but I reckon you'd be surprised by the number of people who have been affected directly by something like this.

My biggest fear is that such events could turn the vast majority of good natured people into non-trusting, non-caring, cold hearted folk.

Cheers and have a cold one on me pal.

James

[tijnebijn]

I am not saying I do not believe you , but a police officer just will do his job especially crimes on the internet these days .

Unless the scam you are talking about is something which will make your case in doubt with the police in a personal way .

When my dog was poisoned the police even investigated , when people steal something they make a point .

ha! such naivete! the police don't give a crap unless there is something in it for them, is my experience.

Calling me naive while not knowing me , or taken my expertise in doubt sounds like you do not have to many

expertise yourself . The advise I gave to Damian before I take back now I know how he got scammed .

I reckon this will not be a case of any consideration. Although some advise from other posters might do .

I also want to say to the moderators that they did a great job in handling this , through the internet everything

can be so so . To Damian , I think you are not a dummy , just good of faith and unlucky , the best to you !

I wander did you play in the Tony Ya movie ?

[Jersey_UK]

Obviously the first problem in tracking him down. Given enough time and money I would imagine this was possible, especially if he is still scamming. A Thai PI would seem a fairly sensible route to follow, gonna have a lot more contacts and access to info sources than any regular Farang. As well as finding him you should learn a lot about his personal / business situation.

The second problem is the biggest, deciding what to do when you find him. As it is not your life savings I am guessing you will not be drilling holes in his kneecaps to recover your money before having him dropped in a Khlong. But this is just a guess

Legally I would assume that it would be a "he said, she said" situation as far as the plod / legal system was concerned - so unless you have good money to throw after bad this is probably a waste of time, unless he does have fixed assets or a legitamate position to protect in Thailand.

If you are lucky you may find out he is an overstayer, in which case it should not be too much hard work to get him picked up - even if you have to pay out some incentives.......

Otherwise you are looking at something "Creative", and this is limited only by your imagination and vindictiveness, but IMO your options depend on who you already know (not who you can find) as bear in mind that he may later come looking for you.........and IMO it is always better to "know people", rather than merely "know of".

Me, I would let it go, unless I personally came accross him (No, not like that ).......then I would be tempted to get something done that was way out of proportion. (But this is only because I have a tendency to vear straight between "Mai Pen Rai" to believing that "an eye for an eye etc" is far too much like liberal wishy washy nonsense ........but I will concede I do have "issues" )

[Fred Sanford]

An American? As a fellow American, I'd expect (and recommend) nothing less than a good ol' American ass beating.

That also makes him VERY easy to track down.....

I'm hoping this is the case.

Yes... Canada loses to The U.S... heh but the games not over! Us Canadians are just way too nice... I really believed his whole story... Im an actor and I gotta say... he's a ###### good one.

Damian

If it is not a lot of money, i would just let it go and book it under experience. Money paid - lesson learned - don't trust anyone.

Trying to get retribution is just headaches, and often not worth the aggravation.

Seconded in a big way. it aint worth it

[Fred Sanford]

Thanks for posting this damian. This is a service to the community actually

[DamianMavis]

I wander did you play in the Tony Ya movie ?

Ya man , I was in that movie (Tom Yum Koong), for all of 3 seconds.... just like alot of other falangs....Back in Canada before I decided to move here and get involved in showbiz I thought it would be the greatest thing in the world to kick and be kicked by an action star, SPECIFICALLY Tony Jaa. So it was a really good experience to fulfill that dream.

Thanks Fred, I really do hope I made someone more aware to the point they dont fall into the same trap as I.

Damian

[tijnebijn]

I wander did you play in the Tony Ya movie ?

Ya man , I was in that movie (Tom Yum Koong), for all of 3 seconds.... just like alot of other falangs....Back in Canada before I decided to move here and get involved in showbiz I thought it would be the greatest thing in the world to kick and be kicked by an action star, SPECIFICALLY Tony Jaa. So it was a really good experience to fulfill that dream.

Thanks Fred, I really do hope I made someone more aware to the point they dont fall into the same trap as I.

Damian

So 3 seconds of fame made you recognised allready . You must be one of the most famous Thaivisa members

right now . Good for you anyway to make a dream come true , I admire that . Tony jaa is awsome indeed !

And head up about this shit what happened , staying in Thailand I reckon his karma will come back to him ,

and when being downward to many only creates more bad luck , so kick some ass in the gym and I am sure

you will feel great and a new role (bigger one ) will occure . I mean you can take something positive out it you know .

Anyway it will be hard to nail the guy in whatever way I guess . The best from now on !

[DamianMavis]

Oh! Ya no, Tom Yum Koong shoot was like 3 years ago, I've dont alot more work since then heh. You shoud see my tiger face on movie posters (I hope) in the next few months and see me in a trailer for Hanuman. Supposed to be released in theatres here around December. If you go see the movie you'll unfortunately see alot more than my face! Thanks for the positive feedback man.

Damian

[RichardEllis]

at nearly 10 years here I like to think I'm somewhat savvy about how low some Thais will go to steal - yet I still get suckered. Just last week, a Thai 'friend' (I thought was a good acquaintance) said she wanted to come visit me from 12 hours away on the bus. We confirmed the meeting several times over the phone. I sent bus fare and a bit extra (less than 1,000 baht) and when I called to tell her the money had been transferred, she said 'I can't come now, you come see me." I said I couldn't and that she should return the money first, so we could decide what to do next. She laughed and said 'that no big money for you.' of course, no money will get returned.

I've been snookered for much more than that over the years, plus bounced checks, checks that weren't signed. Thai people rarely use checks for the same reason they don't have 4-way stops at street intersections: it don't work here.

Note to Damian and anyone else: if you're going to loan money GET A PHOTOCOPY OF THE PERSON'S ID AND HOUSE REGISTRATION ! Thai people should not get offended by that, because they understand it's often asked and given for business transactions. If borrowers know you have that info, they're a lot less likely to rip you off ....JING!

.....and get collateral of at least twice value of what you're loaning. written acknowledgements don't amount to zip.

I have found that Thais will work very hard to engineer a situation where they owe you money and work just as hard to prevent you owing them money. Hard to say but harder still to be bilked. Always make sure it is you owing the money, that way you have the power. Also, don't assume Thais will do the 'right' or 'honourable' thing. Many will but most won't, even if you believe you are friends. Most people would advise you not to lend a Thai money, many consider a loan a gift and won;t feel obliged to repay.

'tis a hard world Horatio. Experience in Thailand comes at a price.

Rich

[Skoal]

It just so happens that there is a Vaio on sale now in the classified section for a seemingly too good to be true price. what a coincidence.

[vermin on arrival]

It just so happens that there is a Vaio on sale now in the classified section for a seemingly too good to be true price. what a coincidence.

Really so the bum has already got a new account and placed a new add. My god. The man is a pro.

[bobbin]

OK, so I'm only half-way thru my first coffee of the morning, but I'm sitting here scratching my head! My very first post on Thai Visa was inspired by by an OP who felt someone had misled them and misrepresented himself. This was in regard to renting a condo in Pattaya. That OP was able to name the individual that he felt had wronged him and asked for any negative experiences anyone else had had with this man.

My first-ever post was to state that I had rented a condo from the man he was speaking about and had no problems. I asked in that post and in following posts why he was able to name someone in a negative post based on his personal opinion. I also asked that question in 2 seperate posts to the moderators which were never answered. Eventually the thread died out but not until someones name had been splashed repeatedly throughout the thread.

So what is going on, TV mods? Have you had a change of heart in respect to adherence to your own rules?

Damian, I am a fellow Canadian and sympathetic to your situation. I will give you the same advise I gave that OP many months ago. Prepare a short outline of the problem, naming names etc. Then ask everyone to PM you for the details and send them the info privately. If not done in this manner, we all could fall prey to anyone who wants to blacken our name publicly.

[vermin on arrival]

If you read carefully, Damian hasn't named the individual. The circumstances of the scam have been detailed so that people might infer who the culprit is. Is this what you are alluding to? People can find out who the individual is if they PM Damian as I have done.

Otherwise, I think your method of dealing with the situation is a good one.

[DamianMavis]

If you read carefully, Damian hasn't named the individual. The circumstances of the scam have been detailed so that people might infer who the culprit is. Is this what you are alluding to? People can find out who the individual is if they PM Damian as I have done.

Otherwise, I think your method of dealing with the situation is a good one.

No he was saying that they allowed names to be posted before but not this time, perhaps they got into a bit of trouble the last time or realised they could have and now they are more careful. I've been really busy the past week but I wil make a police report and see what we can do then.

If anyone wants the information they can pm me.

Damian