Foreigner Scam In Bangkok Saying Friend Stopped By Malaysia Immigration And Needs Money To Bail Out

[ZenTraveler]

I hope I am posting in the right place and sorry if I am not.

So, I couldn't find anything on the forum about this but my boss needs information regarding it so if anyone has any, please reply below. Thanks.

Story:

A foreigner (heard about a Canadian) was traveling through Malaysia with a large amount of cash because he doesn't trust credit cards and the Malaysia Immigration stopped him and held him for carrying such a large amount of money. Malaysia Immigration told him that the foreigner needed to pay them for his release but he couldn't have access to his possessions (and money). So the foreigner calls his friends in Bangkok for help. His foreigner friends in BKK ask other foreigners and some Thais for help to raise the pay-off money to send him to give to the Malaysia Immigration so that he can be released and leave the country. Once his friends find someone to give them money they wait a day and go back to the person and say they need more money, that it's not enough, and if they don't get more money then they won't be able to secure the guys release or his possessions/money from Malaysia. So the person may give them more money and this continues until the person runs out of money and then the friends say, well it's not enough so we can't get the money to pay you back.

That's the story. Suppose to be a scam. Boss needs info if anyone has heard of this. Thanks in advance.

Zen.

[bkkjames]

Was your boss in on it? Why does he need to know?

Sounds like a load of Cra_shite

[ZenTraveler]

Was your boss in on it? Why does he need to know?

Sounds like a load of Cra_shite

Boss knows someone who I believe was taken by it and wanted to look into it to help them out. He just wanted information on it. Thanks for adding something of value.

Zen.

[anothertorres]

wait. if he was carrying a large amount of cash, why can't he just use THAT money to pay off "Malaysia"? anyway, this story is silly and who cares if it's true or not, still silly.

[ZenTraveler]

Update: boss called Canadian Embassy with the name and information about the foreigner who is supposedly held by the Malaysia Immigration and it turns out it is a scam.

[skipvice]

oh gee, its a scam realy

[mrtoad]

I'd have never guessed it was a scam.

[garyh]

But Thailand relies so much on foriegners spending money in thailand, why would they scam us and make us have 2nd thoughts about Thailand?

[clausewitz]

I'd have never guessed it was a scam.

[Donnyboy]

sounds like the Facebook scam

scam link

edited for spellink