Thai Facebook Users Fall For Scam

[webfact]

Facebook users fall for scam

By The Nation

Many Facebook users recently lost money to scammers who posted messages on the social-networking site claiming that they were selling iPhones at low prices.

A 22-year-old woman, who only wanted to be known as Kik, yesterday asked The Nation's sister publication Kom Chad Luek to help investigate the matter and blow the whistle on the scammers.

"I saw a message posted by an old friend. We have been keeping contact via Facebook." She said she replied to the message and asked her friend about the iPhone 4, which was allegedly up for grabs at just Bt18,000 instead of Bt24,000.

Her friend responded by giving her a mobile-phone number, and when Kik called, the person on the other end told her there were 40 iPhone gadgets up for sale.

"She told me to put Bt15,000 in her bank account first and pay the rest after the phone was delivered," Kik said. "After I made the transfer, she never answered my call."

Kik later found out that many other Facebook users had fallen for this scam, and her old friend said her Facebook account had been hacked. The victims have lodged a complaint with police.

In response to this case, the Office of the Consumer Protection Board warned people to beware of advertisements offering products for unusually low prices.

-- The Nation 2011-04-26

[rkidlad]

It's not nice being scammed.

[whybother]

If it sounds to good to be true, then it's probably not true.

It's amazing how many people get scammed after responding to an SMS, an MSN message or a Facebook message (or some random person calling them and telling them to go to an ATM ).

[Insight]

Surely they can trace the account the money was deposited in...?

[homeslice]

A little payback

[swillowbee]

Surely they can trace the account the money was deposited in...?

... practiced at scamming, corrupt Thais usually use an uninvolved innocent new friend's bank account, putting them on the tiger's back ... the excuse being, I have a friend sending me money and he cannot wire into my 'xxx' bank - can I ask him to send it to your bank account and I will pay you THB 500 ... then, the corrupt Thai disappears with the ill-gotten money, and the new friend is then complicit in the crime.

... how could anyone be so stupid as to give a stranger money!? ... especially in a country so thoroughly corrupt as Thailand!

Edited April 26, 2011 by swillowbee

[bkklife]

Surely they can trace the account the money was deposited in...?

... practiced at scamming, corrupt Thais usually use an uninvolved innocent new friend's bank account, putting them on the tiger's back ... the excuse being, I have a friend sending me money and he cannot wire into my 'xxx' bank - can I ask him to send it to your bank account and I will pay you THB 500 ... then, the corrupt Thai disappears with the ill-gotten money, and the new friend is then complicit in the crime.

... how could anyone be so stupid as to give a stranger money!? ... especially in a country so thoroughly corrupt as Thailand!

The reason why they are so stupid is because they are greedy. Greedy scammers....Greedy customers....what goes around comes around!!!!

[dunkin2012]

poor dupe...

it's the black-hole of Social media websites.................

some can't be trusted at all.............

i learned if it is really cheap ........

1. stolen item

2. damaged , not functions properly

3. scam

[woodyleonhard]

The reason why they are so stupid is because they are greedy. Greedy scammers....Greedy customers....what goes around comes around!!!!

It seems like stupidity - until it happens to you, or someone you know well. Some of these scams are incredibly convincing.

Greed may be the prime motivator in some of the cases, but other scams draw on a mark's compassion, or even their willingness to help (bogus) policemen.

[Kernow86]

I agree with Woody, some of these buggers are very good at what they do!

[Cheops]

poor dupe...

it's the black-hole of Social media websites.................

some can't be trusted at all.............

i learned if it is really cheap ........

1. stolen item

2. damaged , not functions properly

3. scam

Yes, if it's really cheap, but a price from 18k baht down from the original 24k baht is not really cheap isn't it? 18k baht is a price that can be true (grey import or whatever). It's not that they offered the iPhone for 6k baht or something. Then you know for sure something smells. But at 18k baht I can understand why people are getting interested. Of course with this kind of money I would like to see the product in real life before handing over the money. And this is not something about Social media websites. Scammers are everywhere. Social media websites are just being used next to all other kinds of scamming methods.

[random]

If it sounds to good to be true, then it's probably not true.

It's amazing how many people get scammed after responding to an SMS, an MSN message or a Facebook message (or some random person calling them and telling them to go to an ATM ).

Don't blame me

[dunkin2012]

If it sounds to good to be true, then it's probably not true.

It's amazing how many people get scammed after responding to an SMS, an MSN message or a Facebook message (or some random person calling them and telling them to go to an ATM ).

Don't blame me

The ATM scam,transferring Money is ........ too obvious........

I can't believe.........it

[dunkin2012]

poor dupe...

it's the black-hole of Social media websites.................

some can't be trusted at all.............

i learned if it is really cheap ........

1. stolen item

2. damaged , not functions properly

3. scam

Yes, if it's really cheap, but a price from 18k baht down from the original 24k baht is not really cheap isn't it? 18k baht is a price that can be true (grey import or whatever). It's not that they offered the iPhone for 6k baht or something. Then you know for sure something smells. But at 18k baht I can understand why people are getting interested. Of course with this kind of money I would like to see the product in real life before handing over the money. And this is not something about Social media websites. Scammers are everywhere. Social media websites are just being used next to all other kinds of scamming methods.

then this smart ar*se is a bit wise............. not to quote the price as cheap as chips ....

sure i'd see it first.. if i were to buy it

[arrowsdawdle]

Surely they can trace the account the money was deposited in...?

... practiced at scamming, corrupt Thais usually use an uninvolved innocent new friend's bank account, putting them on the tiger's back ... the excuse being, I have a friend sending me money and he cannot wire into my 'xxx' bank - can I ask him to send it to your bank account and I will pay you THB 500 ... then, the corrupt Thai disappears with the ill-gotten money, and the new friend is then complicit in the crime.

... how could anyone be so stupid as to give a stranger money!? ... especially in a country so thoroughly corrupt as Thailand!

The reason why they are so stupid is because they are greedy. Greedy scammers....Greedy customers....what goes around comes around!!!!

"The easiest person to sell is a salesman."

[krading]

""I saw a message posted by an old friend. We have been keeping contact via Facebook." She said she replied to the message and asked her friend about the iPhone 4, which was allegedly up for grabs at just Bt18,000 instead of Bt24,000.

Her friend responded by giving her a mobile-phone number, and when Kik called, the person on the other end told her there were 40 iPhone gadgets up for sale."

Don't forget, she thought she was talking to an old friend who was recommending the third party salesman.

She didn't realize the scammer had hijacked her friend's account.

I kept getting emails from a mate trying to get me to click on a link to some 'earn money on line' scam.

Sounded like him but I was still suspicious so I phoned him and it turned out someone had hacked his account and all his other contacts were getting the same email.

[creck]

If it sounds to good to be true, then it's probably not true.

It's amazing how many people get scammed after responding to an SMS, an MSN message or a Facebook message (or some random person calling them and telling them to go to an ATM ).

Don't blame me

The ATM scam,transferring Money is ........ too obvious........

I can't believe.........it

Exactly! asking for money up front that is the Clue; they must do that in any scam. It’s the red flag – extreme caution required - don’t pass money until you’re sure. Even paying bills that seem even slightly strange – new place, unusual urgency...

[JohnnyFeelIt]

Exactly! asking for money up front that is the Clue; they must do that in any scam. It’s the red flag – extreme caution required - don’t pass money until you’re sure. Even paying bills that seem even slightly strange – new place, unusual urgency...

err... I don't think 99% of webshops or any other online shopping requires payment 'upfront'..

[Insight]

The reason why they are so stupid is because they are greedy. Greedy scammers....Greedy customers....what goes around comes around!!!!

It seems like stupidity - until it happens to you, or someone you know well. Some of these scams are incredibly convincing.

Greed may be the prime motivator in some of the cases, but other scams draw on a mark's compassion, or even their willingness to help (bogus) policemen.

bkklife's statement is a tad harsh (actually that's an understatement).

A scam my wife was telling me about a while back was how these con merchants would somehow obtain the numbers for and call up poor families up country who have ATM cards but rarely go the ATM. They would dupe them into believing they've won a cash prise that they could collect at the ATM in town. Once the victim had arrived at the ATM and called the scumbags back, the con merchants' would direct them on how to use it, but directing the victims to use the English language option rather than phasa Thai - thus leaving them completely in the dark. The con merchants would then instruct them to unknowingly make a transfer back to their own account.

The stuff of real lowlives.

[Phil Conners]

Prepaying by bank transfer for goods ordered online or by phone is normal in Thailand, so nobody think it strange when they're asked to do that.

[dunkin2012]

The reason why they are so stupid is because they are greedy. Greedy scammers....Greedy customers....what goes around comes around!!!!

It seems like stupidity - until it happens to you, or someone you know well. Some of these scams are incredibly convincing.

Greed may be the prime motivator in some of the cases, but other scams draw on a mark's compassion, or even their willingness to help (bogus) policemen.

bkklife's statement is a tad harsh (actually that's an understatement).

A scam my wife was telling me about a while back was how these con merchants would somehow obtain the numbers for and call up poor families up country who have ATM cards but rarely go the ATM. They would dupe them into believing they've won a cash prise that they could collect at the ATM in town. Once the victim had arrived at the ATM and called the scumbags back, the con merchants' would direct them on how to use it, but directing the victims to use the English language option rather than phasa Thai - thus leaving them completely in the dark. The con merchants would then instruct them to unknowingly make a transfer back to their own account.

The stuff of real lowlives.

I have seen that..... ........... a half Thai - Italian singer.....got that....months ago...

she had no idea how to use just Simple English,(very simple)...........

and ended up with losing over Baht k100 .......................

imagine if you were to use a Chinese ATM with no English enabled.....

How much would you understand Chinese scripts.... almost %0 then....

it's the same thing with these Thais.....using English......

[kmj]

If it sounds to good to be true, then it's probably not true.

It's amazing how many people get scammed after responding to an SMS, an MSN message or a Facebook message (or some random person calling them and telling them to go to an ATM ).

Don't blame me

The ATM scam,transferring Money is ........ too obvious........

I can't believe.........it

Exactly! asking for money up front that is the Clue; they must do that in any scam. It's the red flag – extreme caution required - don't pass money until you're sure. Even paying bills that seem even slightly strange – new place, unusual urgency...

Please tell me which online store delivers before you pay them, I'll order something straight away ...

[softgeorge]

OMG Thai's got scammed this is terrible. Does it hurt? The HUB of scamming has been scammed.

[Beetlejuice]

Never pay money into anyone’s bank account up front.

Some years ago when I lived in New York, I required some airline tickets for a return flight to Bangkok.

Was recommended by a Thai friend of the wife to use an agent, of a friend of a friend.

Phoned some Thai man who told me that he could get the tickets at a 20% discount. He quoted the price and I agreed, sounded really good.

Then the man gave his bank account number and requested that I pay the money into his account and then he would forward on the tickets.

I responded by saying; no way. I said, you meet me with the tickets and I will give you the money.

Then the man asked; do I believe in trust? Yes I replied; so why don`t you send the tickets and once received I will pay the money into your account?

After a load of BS excuses and reasons why I should pay upfront first, the guy then hung up.

Don’t fall for these evil cons and trust no one.

[kuffki]

You would think she would call her "old friend" not some number, unless of course its an old friend "Thai style*' ie never met, never spoke and really have no idea who the person is, in which case, why would you deposit money into someone's account who you do not even know and is not a shop or a business?!

Then one would try to use a brain and think how could someone get 40 original iphones and sell them below market price?!

*"Thai style friend"

-Just met on the bus 10 mins ago

-Just met in the shop same day

-Just met on line

**"Thai style best friend"

-Have known each other for more then 24 hours but less then a month

-Have chatted on line more then 3 times

***"Thai style brother or sister"

- known each other for over a month

- have spoken on the phone after meeting on line and met for a drink.

[selftaopath]

A little payback

LOL. Perhaps :-) But lets have the BIB investigate :-) LOL ah yea.....

[selftaopath]

Surely they can trace the account the money was deposited in...?

... practiced at scamming, corrupt Thais usually use an uninvolved innocent new friend's bank account, putting them on the tiger's back ... the excuse being, I have a friend sending me money and he cannot wire into my 'xxx' bank - can I ask him to send it to your bank account and I will pay you THB 500 ... then, the corrupt Thai disappears with the ill-gotten money, and the new friend is then complicit in the crime.

... how could anyone be so stupid as to give a stranger money!? ... especially in a country so thoroughly corrupt as Thailand!

Hell!!! Aren't X pats doing it daily in Land of Scams/Lack of Sanctions?????

[robsamui]

You would think she would call her "old friend" not some number, unless of course its an old friend "Thai style*' ie never met, never spoke and really have no idea who the person is, in which case, why would you deposit money into someone's account who you do not even know and is not a shop or a business?!

Then one would try to use a brain and think how could someone get 40 original iphones and sell them below market price?!

*"Thai style friend"

-Just met on the bus 10 mins ago

-Just met in the shop same day

-Just met on line

**"Thai style best friend"

-Have known each other for more then 24 hours but less then a month

-Have chatted on line more then 3 times

***"Thai style brother or sister"

- known each other for over a month

- have spoken on the phone after meeting on line and met for a drink.

Edited April 27, 2011 by robsamui

[jimbeam1]

Surely they can trace the account the money was deposited in...?

... practiced at scamming, corrupt Thais usually use an uninvolved innocent new friend's bank account, putting them on the tiger's back ... the excuse being, I have a friend sending me money and he cannot wire into my 'xxx' bank - can I ask him to send it to your bank account and I will pay you THB 500 ... then, the corrupt Thai disappears with the ill-gotten money, and the new friend is then complicit in the crime.

... how could anyone be so stupid as to give a stranger money!? ... especially in a country so thoroughly corrupt as Thailand!

The reason why they are so stupid is because they are greedy. Greedy scammers....Greedy customers....what goes around comes around!!!!

Yep and happens all over the world.

jb1