Australian Fraudster's Phuket Vacation Cut Short

[webfact]

Aussie fraudster's Phuket vacation cut short

The young tourist was charged and locked up at Patong Police Station (above) in Phuket.

KATHU, PHUKET: -- A young Australian tourist is facing deportation from Thailand after falsely claiming that she had been robbed in order to claim on her insurance, police in Phuket said.

Patong Police said the 20-year-old college student told them that two young men on a motorbike had snatched her bag in Patong yesterday.

But on questioning, it emerged that the story was fabricated.

After she confessed to making the story up to claim on her travel insurance, police charged her and locked her up.

Her boyfriend bailed her out for 50,000 baht around 5pm yesterday.

“It’s my first time out of the country and I will not do this again,” said the young woman.

The Australian had arrived in Phuket on Wednesday and was due to leave last night. She has now postponed her flight as her case will need to be processed.

She was due to appear in court today. She is likely to be fined and sent to Immigration for deportation.

Police Duty Officer Nitikorn Rawang said too many foreigners were committing insurance fraud in Thailand.

“There are probably around 50 cases [dealt with by Kathu Police] every week,” he said.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-06-19

[sokal]

a western girl doing some scamming, and the boyfriend bails her out too.

[Sunny Valentine]

Seems some Westerners are learning quick what to do in the Land of Scams ...

[Jimi007]

50 foreigners a week committing insurance fraud a week in Patong? Is that a statistic or something made up? It seems like it would be in the news before this, if there were 50 cases a week...

[robblok]

Good thing the Thais act on things like this. I just wonder how it would have gone if it was a Thai national.

[lazygourmet]

20 years ago, stolen traveler check and personal belonging insurance claim scams were a big thing among backpackers in SE -Asia.

You always had your -claimed- money back within 24 hours... And without any question... Thanks to Amex and Thomas Cook

Maybe, she just followed her "Nimbin" mother steps... without knowing that they are all computerized now !?!

Edited June 19, 2010 by lazygourmet

[asiawatcher]

Lucky she didn't snatch a bar mat on the way out as a souvenir...

[mrpositive]

As an Aussie I'm p****d off at this girl, but she seems to have learnt her lesson. Guess she wasn't as smart as she though she was. Thai Police have an incredibly high confession rate. They've had a little practice getting versions of the truth out of people. I'm pleased they were able to get a good result. Not an easy job for them at times.

[Anyse]

It is such a shame that this young woman thought that Thais are such easy pushovers. I am not as much saddened by the crime as I am about her possible sense about and discrimination toward the people of Thailand.. She has no respect for the culture or the people of Thailand.

[TAWP]

Is this some typical Aussie thing, go on a short vacation and claim to be robbed during the stay?

[Dukeleto]

50 a week! 200 a month! going through the court system!!! hmmmmmmm I can understand there being 50 reported cases of theft a week but to get the current statistic quoted they have interrogated and bust 50 scamming tourists a week ...7 a day!

[mickjn]

Got me beat insurance will only pay about 6000 baht max and couldnt be much in a handbag,camera,phone.Amatuer job

[Xaindsleena]

you stupid idiot... thanks for givinng other Aussies a bad name you toe rag. Your boyfriend should have left you to rot.

Edited June 19, 2010 by Xaindsleena

[jackdawson]

what goes on in australia ?

who raises these kids anyway ?

[Xaindsleena]

It is such a shame that this young woman thought that Thais are such easy pushovers. I am not as much saddened by the crime as I am about her possible sense about and discrimination toward the people of Thailand.. She has no respect for the culture or the people of Thailand.

I must say your comment is truely well said. Cheers to you.

[grahamhc]

Good thing the Thais act on things like this. I just wonder how it would have gone if it was a Thai national.

I doubt they would have Insurance, and that is why the police try harder.

It is such a shame that this young woman thought that Thais are such easy pushovers. I am not as much saddened by the crime as I am about her possible sense about and discrimination toward the people of Thailand.. She has no respect for the culture or the people of Thailand.

It is nothing to do with Thailand. She would have tried anywhere else. And not so likely to have been caught.

Thai Police do their job. I had a burglary a few months ago, and the Police visited and took evidence. Back in England, they would not even bother to visit most the time.

Report a bag snatch in the UK and they will just write the report for your insurance company and just say "Next Please"

Well done, Thailand. Send the message back with her. I wonder if it will be in the Aussie newspapers too?

[Wombat6]

I hope this story gets some media coverage in Australia. It may deter people who are contemplating the same type of scam. I also hope the Insurance companies have a close look at previous claimants. The honest people have to pay increased Insurance premiums to cover claimsmade

[z9999]

On the positive side, one less unsolved crime.

[Garry]

Good thing the Thais act on things like this. I just wonder how it would have gone if it was a Thai national.

I doubt they would have Insurance, and that is why the police try harder.

It is such a shame that this young woman thought that Thais are such easy pushovers. I am not as much saddened by the crime as I am about her possible sense about and discrimination toward the people of Thailand.. She has no respect for the culture or the people of Thailand.

It is nothing to do with Thailand. She would have tried anywhere else. And not so likely to have been caught.

Thai Police do their job. I had a burglary a few months ago, and the Police visited and took evidence. Back in England, they would not even bother to visit most the time.

Report a bag snatch in the UK and they will just write the report for your insurance company and just say "Next Please"

Well done, Thailand. Send the message back with her. I wonder if it will be in the Aussie newspapers too?

I would hazard to guess that it won't be finished for her when she gets back to Australia. She will more than likely have a lot of explaining to do to the authorities along with the boyfriend.

[Chris Lawrence]

I would have lost it from the hotel room? or out of the bag at the airport? Silly girl

But I don't do those type of things. Get caught and pay the bail then the fine and what ever else is demanded to get out of the country. So all ina all really not worth the trouble.

[Valentine]

It goes back a long way & seemed to be a way for backpackers to prolong their holiday. My first time in Bangkok back in 1979 I shared a room with an Aussie who was waiting on a replacement passport as his had been stolen (read - he sold it for extra cash). Others I met were involved in other things such as the traveller's cheques scam, smuggling gold to India, & even less savoury acts.

[propreperic]

what goes on in australia ?

who raises these kids anyway ?

Jack incase you have not noticed, this is typical younger generation behavior of western brats nowadays, no respect for anything. you'de better get used to it

[lucky2103]

just to get the records straight: The pic on the initial post shows Kathu police station, not Patong, as mentioned.

[ronrat]

My parents were robbed in a burglary in Fiji, a time share place they have being going to for 20 years. No previous claims, both in the 70s and no criminal records. The insurance companies have put them through so much it is unbelievable. Travel insurance companies have denied me a claim on the basis of not having the necessary paperwork (which I could not get because the place was flooded). They are fair game IMHO. The girl would never had had her claim paid anyway. They would have found a loophole. Not got any press here yet. Stupid girl and I guess her travelling days are over because she will not get coverage and potentially have her passport revoked.

[dangman]

I hope this story gets some media coverage in Australia. It may deter people who are contemplating the same type of scam.

it may actually encourage it.

a lot of people wouldn't have thought of it before, and might think.. 'i could act, and hold on to my story, better than she did'.

[thaigold]

Her only error was in choice of locales to pull off her scam. If she'd done her homework she would have gone to Manila. There, she could have faked her own demise, got a death certificate - 6-months in hiding and Viola! A resurrection and the insurance payoff safely in the beneficiaries bank account. A bit of tongue in cheek here, but there are insurance resurrections in the Philippines on record.

Edited June 19, 2010 by cdnvic
removed excessive formatting

[Arjay]

She's lucky they let her out on bail and didn't suffer the same fate as a couple of Btit girls in Brazil a while back.

[Will27]

I would hazard to guess that it won't be finished for her when she gets back to Australia. She will more than likely have a lot of explaining to do to the authorities along with the boyfriend.

And what authorities would they be?

What's the boyfriend go to do with it?

IMHO, I don't think there's anything

that can be done.

Regards

Will

[Arjay]

She's lucky they let her out on bail and didn't suffer the same fate as a couple of Btit girls in Brazil a while back.

[F4UCorsair]

I spent a career a s an airline pilot and it was standard for a lot of flight attendants (hosties) to claim their camera, cash, jewellery (or whatever they chose) was stolen from their rooms on their last night of holiday. Police reports were easy to get, a claim on their insurance company was submitted, and paid. The insurance copmpany wa sowned by the airline and was generally regarded as a 'pushover'.

I'm guessing that in a lot of countries it's easier for police to just give out a theft report and get rid of the dim wit. After all, it's no skin off their noses if a bag is snatched and a foreign insurer is claimed against.

Well done Thai police in pursuing this moronic woman.