Labour Government’s Bold Claim to “honesty with voters” Has Unraveled Quickly

[farangene]

Thai TV said the company name was Affinity. Interpol was also involved in the investigation.

[jayinoz]

Ohh boy I remember when I was done of $10000 US in a pretend company called Cita Biomedical many years ago. Operated by faranges & protected by the thai police at that time.

Cheers

Jay

[pontius]

I know a Brit called Paul, maybe I should report him!

[genedi]

Timing seems very "convenient", just when everyone is talking about tourists being scammed by Thais, out comes the story of foreigners scamming in Thailand, looks like it's easier to arrest scamming foreigners than scamming Thais !!!

[visions]

6 foreigners arrested in online investment scam

Crime Suppression Division police have arrested four Britons, a Filipino woman and a French man for having allegedly deceiving foreign investors to buy stocks online and cheated them.

Pol Maj Gen Panya Mamen, deputy Central Investigation Bureau commissioner, said the six foreigners were arrested at a house on Soi Thonglor while deceiving foreigners to invest in stock markets through Internet.

Police seized seven desktop computers, six notebook computers and 31 mobile phones from the house.

Information from the seized computers showed that they had deceived the investors to invest over Bt100 million in fake firms.

The foreigners claimed that they were hired by a man identified only as Paul for Bt30,000 to Bt50,000 a month to make phone calls.

-- The Nation 2009/09/19

Cant wait for the photos and news reports of all the back slapping police chiefs lined up behind a table of 6 nervous looking farangs, as they claim to be cleaning up the image of dodgy businesses in LOS, as the hunt goes on for 'Paul'

Might be quite nice of the BiB were so assiduous and efficient in picking up Thais who cheat foreigners.

Sorry, I don't know what I could have been thinking, saying that...

Thats why they wont find "Paul"......he's probably operating out of the BiB head office.

[petercallen]

Oh, and I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

Caveat emptor in spades.

YES YOU ARE DEAD RIGHT THERE.

[Asianrider]

they are showing the 6 arrested on Thai TV now, but they are a bit shy - they don't want to show their faces !

[notime]

Timing seems very "convenient", just when everyone is talking about tourists being scammed by Thais, out comes the story of foreigners scamming in Thailand, looks like it's easier to arrest scamming foreigners than scamming Thais !!!

Exactly my thought! Maybe the stupid foreigners didn't know to give some 20% out of their bounty to the police. This made them an easy target .. no hurt to arrest them and all the glory to the brave police. Plus it always flee nice to nail farang

[dougieboy]

Anyone who invests in a company without checking that it exists, deserves to be parted from their money.

What happened to good old Due Dilligence???

[Padrino]

.....they had deceived the investors to invest over Bt100 million in fake firms...

Anyone who invests in a company without checking that it exists, deserves to be parted from their money.

Bit harsh, sometimes people make poor rash decisions without first checking the facts, but hardly deserving of being scammed from their hard earned money

A FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE EASILY PARTED --- NUF SAID

dam_n right - it happens in Nana , Cowboy, Patpong and Walking Street every night

[chiang mai]

Scamming is an industry that is reserved for local people only and foreigners may not also participate.

[reallyok]

Thanks for this story. I've been looking for investments and I'll stay away from these local deals. As soon as I get that really big deposit from that nice Nigerian guy, I am going to invest some of it!

WOW ! Scott, i think the same guy is trying to help me too. And he has invited me over to Nigeria to meet him, exciting ain't it !

[reallyok]

The most disgusting part of all of this, is that this guy wasn't operating alone. Obviously those staff members were not going after Thais. The question remains where did they get the phone numbers from?

They weren't just randomly dialing hoping to get a farang on the line. They were probably sold a list of phone numbers from someone.

Last year I was getting a lot of phonecalls from investment companies. I'm fairly certain the only organization that had my number was my bank. The purple one.

I hope someone would run down this side of the equation, but I really doubt it will ever happen.

I wonder if they all have got work permits ? No mention of that is there.

[Moonrakers]

.....they had deceived the investors to invest over Bt100 million in fake firms...

Anyone who invests in a company without checking that it exists, deserves to be parted from their money.

The companies that the stocks are sold for often do exist.

[thaibreaker]

Thanks for this story. I've been looking for investments and I'll stay away from these local deals. As soon as I get that really big deposit from that nice Nigerian guy, I am going to invest some of it!

Yep, me too. I am waiting for my 21 mill USD from him. Should show up any day now !

[globin]

another con-artist foreigner in Bangkok scamming money! What about this place attracts them? This website announced a recent case right here, again in our own backyard: www.accelon-asia.com

Nothing in particular attracts these scammers to Thailand, we just have our fair share, they are all over from Alaska to Argentina, Bangkok to Boston and every inch in between

[sunnythai]

.....they had deceived the investors to invest over Bt100 million in fake firms...

Anyone who invests in a company without checking that it exists, deserves to be parted from their money.

Nobody deserves to be purposely cheated...<snip>

My money is on the a Filipino woman and a French man, I am sure there are no Britons involve in this..............The French are clever people at times........hahahah ( but very RARE)

[jb5music]

Name of the company please?

As some investment-firms have recently been calling my office a lot and asking to come and give consultation-meetings which I have always declined...

Exactly! - It'd be like - Headline: Mineshaft found in the middle of the road in Pattaya. Several people have fallen in already.

But we found it... GREAT - WHAT STREET IS IT? (Oh?)

[khaowong1]

6 foreigners arrested in online investment scam

Crime Suppression Division police have arrested four Britons, a Filipino woman and a French man for having allegedly deceiving foreign investors to buy stocks online and cheated them.

Pol Maj Gen Panya Mamen, deputy Central Investigation Bureau commissioner, said the six foreigners were arrested at a house on Soi Thonglor while deceiving foreigners to invest in stock markets through Internet.

Police seized seven desktop computers, six notebook computers and 31 mobile phones from the house.

Information from the seized computers showed that they had deceived the investors to invest over Bt100 million in fake firms.

The foreigners claimed that they were hired by a man identified only as Paul for Bt30,000 to Bt50,000 a month to make phone calls.

-- The Nation 2009/09/19

Cant wait for the photos and news reports of all the back slapping police chiefs lined up behind a table of 6 nervous looking farangs, as they claim to be cleaning up the image of dodgy businesses in LOS, as the hunt goes on for 'Paul'

Might be quite nice of the BiB were so assiduous and efficient in picking up Thais who cheat foreigners.

Sorry, I don't know what I could have been thinking, saying that...

how soon you forget... they cleaned up the airport didn't they... oh sorry, that's right they didn't...

[paulbrun]

I know a Brit called Paul, maybe I should report him!

Honest guv, it wasn't me..!

[khaowong1]

Thanks for this story. I've been looking for investments and I'll stay away from these local deals. As soon as I get that really big deposit from that nice Nigerian guy, I am going to invest some of it!

WOW ! Scott, i think the same guy is trying to help me too. And he has invited me over to Nigeria to meet him, exciting ain't it !

wow, maybe if we all got together, we could get a discount on our airfare for a group rate...

[Considered Opinion]

.....they had deceived the investors to invest over Bt100 million in fake firms...

Anyone who invests in a company without checking that it exists, deserves to be parted from their money.

Bit harsh, sometimes people make poor rash decisions without first checking the facts, but hardly deserving of being scammed from their hard earned money

"Bit Harsh" ? Nineteen posts so you are yet young. Wait till the morning after the regulars wake up after their normal frolic in Soi Sam in Chiang Mai, throw the evening mia noi out, check the fake Rolex is still on the hall table and call a mate to brag.

By lunchtime the whole lot of them (the 6 guilty as charged farangs) will be gasping for breath as the Thai Visa noose is awarded, positioned and tightened.

There will be no escape from the good offices of the TV Judge, Jury and Executioners..

[xylophone]

Do these scammers include the Thai police who demand thousands of Thai baht from Farang bar owners in order for them to receive "protection", or to be able to stay open after midnight.

Perhaps someone should ask the Prime Minister why this money has to be paid if the MIB are there to uphold the law??

[Considered Opinion]

I know a Brit called Paul, maybe I should report him!

I know a Brit. Might as well dob him in as well.

[MUYTHAI]

.....they had deceived the investors to invest over Bt100 million in fake firms...

Anyone who invests in a company without checking that it exists, deserves to be parted from their money.

Really? Even those with challenged mental capacities and the elderly. Even if they loose their life's savings. You are a good-hearted person Astral.

[caughtintheact]

Anyone who invests in a company without checking that it exists, deserves to be parted from their money.

What happened to good old Due Dilligence???

Good point, dougieboy.

Due Diligence dies daily - killed by greed and gullibility. Most successful scams are perpetrated by people you think you can trust, but did not verify their trustworthiness. Verify the credentials of the people, the company BEFORE you give your trust.

If a phone or online deal sounds interesting, either politely ask (or transfer the call to your secretary and have her get the information) for the name of the caller, the company, the address, phone and fax numbers, and tell them you are very busy and will call them back. If they try a hard sell or beat around the bush, hang up. If they give you the information and you are still interested, then check them out. Internet searches for names (adding fraud, hoax, scam to the search terms - in various combinations - for individual and company names can help pinpoint past bad records). This is not everything you can do, but it will give you a start and will may lead to places you would not have known about. Scammers prosper in bad economic times, because some people are willing to take risks for money that they would not take otherwise. And always remember the old axiom, 'If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is' (all too easily forgotten in times of stress). Want to know how the sales pitch might go? Check out http://www.cb-bc.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/02608.html (stock scams are not the only kind), and http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/boiler-rooms, http://www.ct.gov/dob/cwp/view.asp?a=2235&q=297904, and http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/boiler...inton_group.htm for starters.

[mangotogo]

Hi,

it made for good entertainement yesterday when I was walking by with my dog. One of the policeman seemed to be reading the rule book for a long time before entering the property. Lots of unmarked cars and some tourist police cars....

[Grey11]

The largest percentage of scam perpetrators online are Nigerians. They have been busted again and again in the U.S. but since the U.S. has pretty much open borders they come back again and again if kicked out of the country.

[Leearcadia]

Sounds to me like all of you guys need to invest in the "get a life" fund. There are people ripping people off in every country regardless of their nationality. To see a non-Thai ripping off a non-Thai is normal, the only difference here is his location. He chose to do it here instead of his own country. If the police are smart and they want to find this "Paul" it should be pretty easy. First of all he would be living and working in Thailand, probably be fluent in Thai language and be staying not far from his "business". If he's making enough to pay all of those people 30-50,000 baht per month then he is obviously doing well and should be easy to trace. Unless of course he's already paid off the police, in which case they know exactly where he is.

My only question is where did the Phillipa woman come in? Also most of the guys were Britts so I'm pretty sure one of them knows where he lives and he's probably a Britt himself.

Lee

[brahmburgers]

Ok, off topic, sorry, but it is biz related:

Isn't Amway, as an MLM, supposed to do all their biz on a person to person level?

If so, how come they have large stores in many Thai cities? I don't think that would be allowed in the States, where the company originated.