Thai Immigration Nabs Liberian Con Artist For Black Money Scam

[webfact]

Liberian Nabbed for Black Money Scam

BANGKOK: -- Immigration Police have arrested a Liberian con artist who deceived Thai and Japanese victims out of 1.5 million baht in a black money scam.

Immigration police arrested 27-year-old Liberian, Bunder JR James Adasko, at his apartment in Huay Kwang area and seized 16 batches of counterfeit 100-dollar banknotes and a fake Liberian passport.

The Liberian was charged for money fraud and overstaying his visa. He will be deported to his home country and put on a blacklist.

According to the police, the Liberian allegedly deceived Thai and foreign victims into investing in his mining business, saying that they have to help him pay for tax in order to get his money, which was sent to Thailand by post, through the Customs.

A Thai and two Japanese were deceived by the man and lost a total of 1.5 million baht.

-- Tan Network 2012-05-25

[Reasonableman]

No penalty, apart from being sent back home?? Surely not.

[Kerryd]

lol - had a Nigerian try to scam me a couple years ago. I was getting text messages saying I had won a Hungarian lottery and needed to send money (via Western Union) to their representative in Bangkok to pay the insurance fees on the wire transfer.

Googled the "contact" and found that he was also running a US "Green Card Lottery" scam. Emailed them from a generic email account and asked why I needed to pay insurance fees to do an electronic transaction, and told him I was in Pattaya and would drive up to Bangkok to their office to talk to them.

He responded that "when I got back to Thailand" they could meet me at the airport (not sure HTF he knew I wasn't in Thailand, as I was in Afghanistan when I got the text message - on my Thai telephone - and was using a generic email address). I tried a couple more times to get him to give me an address but he wouldn't do it and even though I told him I was in Pattaya, he knew I was out of the country (I figured he had a friend on the camp in Afghanistan that was feeding him information).

I finally gave up and told him that I knew it had been a scam all along, and that I had passed his name and email details (address and headers) along to the Thai Police, Thai Immigration and FBI (for the Visa scam). At the end of that email I suggested that the police would probably be coming for him very soon, and then said "wait, was that a knock I heard at your door ? Surely they haven't arrived already, or have they ?"

I was hoping that for the next couple of weeks, every time someone knocked on his door he'd crap his pants and try diving out a window or something. Never heard from him again so I guess he got the hint (or hopefully left the country in a hurry though I doubt it).

Edited May 25, 2012 by Kerryd

[londonthai]

black money scam is nothing to compare to "16 batches of counterfeit 100-dollar banknotes and a fake Liberian passport". Are they not crimes anymore?

[GentlemanJim]

It seems any crimes of a 'financial nature' in Thailand are not really considered that criminal!

[Payboy]

No penalty, apart from being sent back home?? Surely not.

Going back to Liberia should be enough.

[OzMick]

lol - had a Nigerian try to scam me a couple years ago. I was getting text messages saying I had won a Hungarian lottery and needed to send money (via Western Union) to their representative in Bangkok to pay the insurance fees on the wire transfer.

Googled the "contact" and found that he was also running a US "Green Card Lottery" scam. Emailed them from a generic email account and asked why I needed to pay insurance fees to do an electronic transaction, and told him I was in Pattaya and would drive up to Bangkok to their office to talk to them.

He responded that "when I got back to Thailand" they could meet me at the airport (not sure HTF he knew I wasn't in Thailand, as I was in Afghanistan when I got the text message - on my Thai telephone - and was using a generic email address). I tried a couple more times to get him to give me an address but he wouldn't do it and even though I told him I was in Pattaya, he knew I was out of the country (I figured he had a friend on the camp in Afghanistan that was feeding him information).

I finally gave up and told him that I knew it had been a scam all along, and that I had passed his name and email details (address and headers) along to the Thai Police, Thai Immigration and FBI (for the Visa scam). At the end of that email I suggested that the police would probably be coming for him very soon, and then said "wait, was that a knock I heard at your door ? Surely they haven't arrived already, or have they ?"

I was hoping that for the next couple of weeks, every time someone knocked on his door he'd crap his pants and try diving out a window or something. Never heard from him again so I guess he got the hint (or hopefully left the country in a hurry though I doubt it).

"....not sure HTF he knew I wasn't in Thailand......" Perhaps you have a girlfriend in common?

[Phatcharanan]

(not sure HTF he knew I wasn't in Thailand, as I was in Afghanistan when I got the text message -

A quick look at your IP address within a FULL message Header would tell him roughly where you are.

It's not rocket science unless you are using a local proxy.

[scorecard]

It seems any crimes of a 'financial nature' in Thailand are not really considered that criminal!

Try bouncing a cheque drawn on a Thai bank and you will see serious reaction from the police.

I don't have a cheque account but I can recall our company accountant mentioning this and she was serious.

[MEL1]

"16 batches of counterfeit 100-dollar banknotes and a fake Liberian passport.

The Liberian was charged for money fraud and overstaying his visa. He will be deported to his home country and put on a blacklist."

The Liberian was charged? HTF do they know he's Liberian, if he has a 'fake' Liberian PP?

Where, exactly, are they going to send him to again?

-mel.

[pieandmash]

"Black money scam" "will be deported to his home country and put on a blacklist", too much racism in this article!

[PattayaPhom]

lol - had a Nigerian try to scam me a couple years ago. I was getting text messages saying I had won a Hungarian lottery and needed to send money (via Western Union) to their representative in Bangkok to pay the insurance fees on the wire transfer.

Googled the "contact" and found that he was also running a US "Green Card Lottery" scam. Emailed them from a generic email account and asked why I needed to pay insurance fees to do an electronic transaction, and told him I was in Pattaya and would drive up to Bangkok to their office to talk to them.

He responded that "when I got back to Thailand" they could meet me at the airport (not sure HTF he knew I wasn't in Thailand, as I was in Afghanistan when I got the text message - on my Thai telephone - and was using a generic email address). I tried a couple more times to get him to give me an address but he wouldn't do it and even though I told him I was in Pattaya, he knew I was out of the country (I figured he had a friend on the camp in Afghanistan that was feeding him information).

I finally gave up and told him that I knew it had been a scam all along, and that I had passed his name and email details (address and headers) along to the Thai Police, Thai Immigration and FBI (for the Visa scam). At the end of that email I suggested that the police would probably be coming for him very soon, and then said "wait, was that a knock I heard at your door ? Surely they haven't arrived already, or have they ?"

I was hoping that for the next couple of weeks, every time someone knocked on his door he'd crap his pants and try diving out a window or something. Never heard from him again so I guess he got the hint (or hopefully left the country in a hurry though I doubt it).

IP address? Sending sms to a Thai sim when it is abroad costs more...

Edited May 25, 2012 by PattayaPhom

[BigJohnnyBKK]

No penalty, apart from being sent back home?? Surely not.

It seems any crimes of a 'financial nature' in Thailand are not really considered that criminal!

Try bouncing a cheque drawn on a Thai bank and you will see serious reaction from the police.

Sure, but that's because it hurts Thai interests, this guy was only defrauding foreigners, NBD.

Edited May 25, 2012 by BigJohnnyBKK

[Nisa]

Not all Nigerians are scam artists. In fact some are very generous. I recently had one Nigerian who tracked me down and contacted me because he saw I had unclaimed lottery winnings in another country. Thank God he did because I don't even recall entering the lottery in this country and never even visited the country but he said I must have done it online. Anyway, he is helping me to get my winnings (BIG MONEY!) and taking care of all the fees and taxes for me there and trust me this is no easy thing and I've already had to send him money three times because they government keeps saying there are more taxes and fees because I am a foreigner. But when all is said and done I should be a very rich man thanks to this Nigerian.

[rubl]

This site has some useful info and a few hilarious stories about baiting scam artists:

http://www.419eater.com/index.php

Edited May 25, 2012 by rubl

[rubl]

No penalty, apart from being sent back home?? Surely not.

It seems any crimes of a 'financial nature' in Thailand are not really considered that criminal!

Try bouncing a cheque drawn on a Thai bank and you will see serious reaction from the police.

Sure, but that's because it hurts Thai interests, this guy was only defrauding foreigners, NBD.

OP: A Thai and two Japanese were deceived by the man and lost a total of 1.5 million baht.

[noitom]

16 "batches of counterfeit $100 dollar notes? And why aren't the Thai police and authorities notifying the US embassy and Treasury Department immediately?

It's a certainty that the Thais would be hyper alarmed if a citizen of Liberia or Nigeria or wherever was found to have 16 "batches" of counterfeit Thai 1,000 baht notes in their possession in , let's say, Las Vegas, and the US authorities were merely deporting him to Liberia without notifying the Thais until after the fact if/when they returned the counterfeit currency to the Thais.

[hellodolly]

No penalty, apart from being sent back home?? Surely not.

Geez at that I would consider going after 30,000,000 baht. Just get sent home.

Well on second thought not sure the states is worth it. Dam

[noitom]

As another poster pointed out, the The Nation's characterization of this as a "Black" money scam is very racist and embassies of all African nations and black citizens of UK, Canada, USA and other countries should voice their fervent concern about this bigoted Thai attitude. It has no place in a global world.

[RickBradford]

Amazing that the old wash-wash scam is still going.

Most of the serious players have moved onto lottery scams, romance, jobhunting, rental, charity scams, and even the hitlad scams.

[alllyn]

To all those worried about the wording, "Black Money" it is meant as in "Black Market" Please have more respect for the Thai people and don't be so quick to judge.

[Yunla]

Don't see why he can't serve time in this country where he committed the crimes. Its not as if a custodial sentence here would cost taxpayers much. Maybe he gave the right person an early Xmas present for his trip home.

[OzMick]

As another poster pointed out, the The Nation's characterization of this as a "Black" money scam is very racist and embassies of all African nations and black citizens of UK, Canada, USA and other countries should voice their fervent concern about this bigoted Thai attitude. It has no place in a global world.

I believe the earlier poster was being humorous rather than pushing political correctness. I have more concern with being depicted as evil because of left-handedness (sinister).

Should your username be noirtom?

[ratcatcher]

As another poster pointed out, the The Nation's characterization of this as a "Black" money scam is very racist and embassies of all African nations and black citizens of UK, Canada, USA and other countries should voice their fervent concern about this bigoted Thai attitude. It has no place in a global world.

I imagine that in your world everything is black and white?

I am sure the black Liberian may have been having a black-day at the Immigration Office after he was charged with being involved in a black-money scam.This money would have eventually found its way onto the black market and had he been caught by others of his ilk would likely have been black mailed.

This whole scenario sounds like a black comedy and it's certain he is the black sheep of his family and I don't doubt he will be black-balled by his friends and family when he returns to Africa.

On the other hand his sins may be white washed and forgotten as he may have been telling white lies to the Immigration officers.

Edited May 26, 2012 by ratcatcher

[BirdsandBooze]

To all those worried about the wording, "Black Money" it is meant as in "Black Market" Please have more respect for the Thai people and don't be so quick to judge.

You`re a little bit naive, he wasn`t trying to blacken the name of Thailand.

[chooka]

16 "batches of counterfeit $100 dollar notes? And why aren't the Thai police and authorities notifying the US embassy and Treasury Department immediately?

It's a certainty that the Thais would be hyper alarmed if a citizen of Liberia or Nigeria or wherever was found to have 16 "batches" of counterfeit Thai 1,000 baht notes in their possession in , let's say, Las Vegas, and the US authorities were merely deporting him to Liberia without notifying the Thais until after the fact if/when they returned the counterfeit currency to the Thais.

Why notify the U.S Embassy and treasury department? What has the U.S got to do with this and what juristiction does the U.S authorities have over Liberians comitting offences in Thailand? They are not the worlds police...............

[NCFC]

As another poster pointed out, the The Nation's characterization of this as a "Black" money scam is very racist and embassies of all African nations and black citizens of UK, Canada, USA and other countries should voice their fervent concern about this bigoted Thai attitude. It has no place in a global world.

Should I be offended by the term 'whitewash?'

[noitom]

16 "batches of counterfeit $100 dollar notes? And why aren't the Thai police and authorities notifying the US embassy and Treasury Department immediately?

It's a certainty that the Thais would be hyper alarmed if a citizen of Liberia or Nigeria or wherever was found to have 16 "batches" of counterfeit Thai 1,000 baht notes in their possession in , let's say, Las Vegas, and the US authorities were merely deporting him to Liberia without notifying the Thais until after the fact if/when they returned the counterfeit currency to the Thais.

Why notify the U.S Embassy and treasury department? What has the U.S got to do with this and what juristiction does the U.S authorities have over Liberians comitting offences in Thailand? They are not the worlds police...............

Your question illustrates an incredible lack of knowledge and naivete about world currency issues and procedures. Try starting out with some basic knowledge on the Interpol site. - http://www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Financial-crime/Counterfeit-currency-and-security-documents

[telldem]

Why are they holding him down? Where is he going to go? Is it because he is black?

Sent from my I-Phone 4 S using Thaivisa Connect App

[ratcatcher]

Why are they holding him down? Where is he going to go? Is it because he is black?

Sent from my I-Phone 4 S using Thaivisa Connect App

"They" aren't holding him down and it has nothing to do with his "black" skin color. The officer on the right is giving the poor frightened chap a shoulder massage.