Reporting An Airport Scam

[hunghung]

I believe I encountered the following scam when I was departing at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday (March 1, 2011):

Shortly after I entered the depature area around 5:40a.m., a Chinese woman around age 55 wearing good make-up asked me if I was Chinese and if I had some time and I answered yes. She asked if I could help her. She said she was trying to change her flight schedule with Kenya Airlines, but the Airlines required a few hundred Baht, which she didn't have. She asked if I could provide her the small amount of money. Then another Chinese woman around age 75 appeared and showed me her People's Republic of China passport.

I asked the younger woman to show me her air ticket and she showed me an E ticket. I was willing to help, but I had to verify her story and a way to do this is to go to the Airlines' counter to talk to a staff. So I asked her where the Airlines' counter was and she said it wouldn't open until about 1:00p.m. I sensed something shady and I told her I wouldn't be able to help. Then she became angry and said it was a waste of time talking to me and it is at this point that I realized she was probably trying to scam money (otherwise, she would still be thankful for my listening).

If you think of the time of the day, it looks even more probable that it is a scam (airport monitoring is less intense during the early morning hours).

[hkt83100]

Then she became angry and said it was a waste of time talking to me ...

At that moment you might have told her that SHE was the one starting the conversation and that SHE was the one wasting YOUR time...

[NanLaew]

I am guessing from the OP's screen name that he may be of Chinese decent or ethnicity? Therefore a Chinese trying to wring money out of another is hardly a scam, more an inevitability.

Regardless of the race of either party, as soon as one mentioned wanting to borrow money, any idea of assisting should have been abandoned.

Maybe the Immigration delays are fortuitous in reducing the time available for scammmers to scam the scammees.

[h90]

You can offer to call the Chinese embassy for them, normally they can help.

[Chunky1]

Did she offer you anything in return?

[josephbloggs]

I am guessing from the OP's screen name that he may be of Chinese decent or ethnicity?

"a Chinese woman around age 55 wearing good make-up asked me if I was Chinese and if I had some time and I answered yes." Er.......that may also have been a clue.

[random]

I am guessing from the OP's screen name that he may be of Chinese decent or ethnicity?

"a Chinese woman around age 55 wearing good make-up asked me if I was Chinese and if I had some time and I answered yes." Er.......that may also have been a clue.

my nickname on cowboy is 'well hung', maybe he will think I am chinese also

[Ajaan]

"

Shortly after I entered the depature area around 5:40a.m., a Chinese woman around age 55 wearing good make-up asked me if I was Chinese and if I had some time and I answered yes. She asked if I could help her. She said she was trying to change her flight schedule with Kenya Airlines, but the Airlines required a few hundred Baht, which she didn't have..."

The conversation should have ended there. Any "request for help" from a stranger that mentions money in the first (or second, or third) sentence should elicit the same response from the saavy traveler: walking forward with no acknowledgment of the would-be scammer.

[geriatrickid]

Don't be so harsh on the OP. It all depends on the situation. The OP wasn't tossing money about but did the wise thing and suggest a visit to the airline ticket counter. What happens if the scenario is legit and it was someone's parent? It doesn't cost anything to listen and that's what the OP did. His post merely serves as a warning to others.

[bifftastic]

Don't be so harsh on the OP. It all depends on the situation. The OP wasn't tossing money about but did the wise thing and suggest a visit to the airline ticket counter. What happens if the scenario is legit and it was someone's parent? It doesn't cost anything to listen and that's what the OP did. His post merely serves as a warning to others.

Absolutely

[gk10002000]

The OP made a good post. Obviously it is possible that scams like that are going on. I ran into almost the exact same thing a few years ago at the airport involving a chinese women and I had forgotten about it until I read this post.

On one of my trips I got off the airport bus in Pattaya, not Bell, and an american there asked me if I was from america. I was one of the few non-asians on the bus and I am from the USA. The guy had an obvious Boston accent ( I am from Rhode Island) and he gave me a line about his money stolen, waiting to get money wired from the states etc. OK. I am willing to help out a traveler. Maybe he doesn't have a lot of friendly help back in the states. I can understand that. The guy said his hotel was being kind and letting him stay until he gets the funds. We chatted a bit about New England. I gave him 2000 baht (40 baht to the 1 USD at the time). I figured it was enough for him to eat for a few days. while he gets things sorted out. I was 50 at the time and well aware of scams. I figured if the guy is stuck, I am doing a good deed. If he is scamming me, well, maybe I earned some good Karma, and the 1,000 baht won't kill me as I am pretty well off. I gave him my hotel (Flipper) and told him to call the desk when he gets the money. I didn't bother to check out his hotel story. Didn't care.

Two days later my phone rang in my room and the guy was downstairs. I thought cool, the guy came through. I picked up the phone and I thanked him for stopping by to pay up. But he said he didn't have the money yet, he just wanted to go out. Siiiiigh. OK I said. Call the hotel again when you get the money. Of course he never called again.

I feel sad that he probably can't afford to stay and has to resort to low life stuff or he has other issues.

[Codacoda]

Already two times different people at the Walking Street in PTT told me a story about yesterday's drunk and asked some money to go back to the hotel. In PTT. Just few thousands Bahts. To hotel. In PTT.

For few thousands Bahts I can few times to go to BKK and return back in a car with aircon and music.

There are so many different scams patterns...

Take care.

[TheWalkingMan]

Yeah, I got a story from some guy about losing his passport and needing a few thousand baht until his cash came in through Western Union. I asked him if he reported the loss to the police in order to have documentation for his embassy... Of course not! lol

Oh, he was drunk too.

TheWalkingMan

[Briggsy]

Take a photo. Tell 'er it's for old times' sake.

[rickthailand]

about 10 years ago when leaving thailand after my holiday i checked in and as i run out of cash i went to an atm with my

credit card, as i entered it into the atm it broke (my fault) at the time you srill had to pay 500 baht airport tax before going through

customs. so there i was checked in and without even 50 baht in my possesion. i tried to talk to the air;line (klm) if they could

"borrow" me 500 baht till after i. landed in amsterdam as i could repay it there as my friends were picking me up.

They refused and told me to sort it out myself. i felt so stupid standing there. I ended up explaining the situation to a chinese lady who was checking in for the same klm flight and asked her if she could help me. She offered to borrow me 2.000 baht as she said i would need to drink and eat also while waiting for boarding. obviously as soon as we picked up our suitcases in amsterdam and met my

friend they gave me the money to repay her.

So sometimes if a traveler is in trouble it is not always a scam. this chinese lady really helped me out

rick

[bangkokburning]

I never give money. Do they need a bit of help? Maybe.

I always say...sounds like it's time for you to go home.

The only time I ever gave money to anyone, against my better judgement was to a loser American in the Philippines. He told me he needed th eP250 for medicine and wifey was out of town. I told him that I never, ever loaned money but as he was old, sick, American (vet) - OK. I told him I would hound him for it.

Saw him later with sack of alcohol

He avoided me for days. I started politely nagging and then got a bit belligerent. Told him unless he planned on returning the money he was noting more than a liar and a thief. He did return the cash.

Borrowers are thieves.

My father tells me of a story when he was in the navy. One con artist was always borrowing small amounts of cash and never returning it. So my father let the guy sob on about how he MUSt have this money...My dad said OK but, I'm loaning you five dollars (he usually borrowed half dollar) and plus one dollar interest and I am coming after it. My dad said he looked at him as though he knew my dad knew his game. He had to take the loan to save face. My dad said that he returned the money in days and never bothered anyone for money again.

Edited June 26, 2011 by bangkokburning

[zanger535]

...about 10 years ago in don mueng airport i was waiting for a flight out and i noticed a guy sleeping under a coat...after awhile he awoke and we got chatting...it transpired he was an american soldier and he had had his flight to america cancelled several times and had been waiting for 36 hours with no money and had not eaten or drank anything...i could see the pain on his face...he asked if it was possible to borrow $5 for something...i had no objection and watched him come back with a mac and coffee...as i left i gave him a few more $ and he asked for my UK address...i left and thought nothing more about it.....2 months later a letter arrived with 2 crisp hundred dollar bills....enough said...

[rizla]

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be "" worth looking up

[MAJIC]

...about 10 years ago in don mueng airport i was waiting for a flight out and i noticed a guy sleeping under a coat...after awhile he awoke and we got chatting...it transpired he was an american soldier and he had had his flight to america cancelled several times and had been waiting for 36 hours with no money and had not eaten or drank anything...i could see the pain on his face...he asked if it was possible to borrow $5 for something...i had no objection and watched him come back with a mac and coffee...as i left i gave him a few more $ and he asked for my UK address...i left and thought nothing more about it.....2 months later a letter arrived with 2 crisp hundred dollar bills....enough said...

A real nice story.

And that's the problem with Scammers,they make it hard for the genuine ones that really do need help.