Bangkok Call 'Center Scam' Gang Drove British Soldier To Commit Suicide

[seminomadic]

Ostracise these people, if they walk into your bar then walk out, they spend their days picking the pockets of pensioners and others.

Right! Get those foreign interlopers out! the ladies in the bar should have first dibs.

(rimshot, crash)

Edited June 8, 2012 by seminomadic

[NanLaew]

Complete and utter scum, scum, scum. These scumbags are standing in bars throughout Thailand boasting about their antics. I met two in CM recently, and I gave them both barrels, they weren't expecting that.

Ostracise these people, if they walk into your bar then walk out, they spend their days picking the pockets of pensioners and others.

There is no middle ground, don't let this scum think they are welcome anywhere near you. They are a disgrace to the human race.

Not sure about the bars in CM but in Bangkok there's a few bars, some Irish-themed, that are nothing more than fronts and cash-laundering facilities for the ones you want to ostracise from 'your' bar. The 'management' and 'ownership' changes hands on a regular rotation but it's still the same low-life's running the show.

[Acemaker]

I do not disagree with the above comments as to how low these individuals are on the evolutionary scale, but come on!!! People get into these scams because they want to make easy money NOW. They let their own greed dupe them into believing the scammer. It is a shame that someone had to lose his life as a result of this scam, but sooner or later one has to believe what we have always been told: "If it sounds too good to be true, it is".

How noble of you to point out vulnerable peoples frailties, "If it sounds too good to be true, it is". BLAH, BLAH , BLAH ! Some people are desperate ! of course nobody ever heard of a FAT CAT Banker wanting to make easy money or Wall Street Trader betting other peoples money on the Forex market, or Stocks, thats ok i suppose in your eyes, then expecting the Tax Payer to bail them out ! Get Real.

[NanLaew]

I can't see the relevance of mentioning the alledged victims former occupation other that to make the Military appear gullable.

The relevance is he was a soldier, therefore he gave a lot more than the average punter to keep people's freedoms, etc.. Therefore someone more entitled to a comfortable retirement but it was stolen from him.

You get the spiel; the same media spin as in all firemen being hero's because of their losses on 9/11. Personally, I reckon anyone that choses a career with the likelihood of being shot or entails regularly running into burning buildings as a bit suss.

[crazykopite]

There are lots of vulnerable farangs in Thailand I know of a friend who has been fleeced by loan sharks for 12 million baht due to his thai business partner taking out huge bank loan and then walking it happens all the time.

I hope the scumbags mentioned in this article get put away for a very long time but there again money talks even at the highest level

[Udox]

It's always assumed that the 'scheme' is usually a "too good to be true" get rich scheme, but it's not always the case.

I was contacted here in Thailand by another farang apparently working for a 'financial services' who could invest my savings for me and/or and get tax advantages etc.....

I promptly told him I would not give 1 baht to someone who called me up out of the blue and I had never met.

When asking how he got my name and number - he informed me that 'a friend of mine' had given it to him - but he was unable to say who or give me a name.

My friends would know better than to do that.

Real or not ? I guess we'll never know.

And, I am neither old, senile, gullible or greedy. (Although I am ex-military).

[theblether]

Complete and utter scum, scum, scum. These scumbags are standing in bars throughout Thailand boasting about their antics. I met two in CM recently, and I gave them both barrels, they weren't expecting that.

Ostracise these people, if they walk into your bar then walk out, they spend their days picking the pockets of pensioners and others.

There is no middle ground, don't let this scum think they are welcome anywhere near you. They are a disgrace to the human race.

Not sure about the bars in CM but in Bangkok there's a few bars, some Irish-themed, that are nothing more than fronts and cash-laundering facilities for the ones you want to ostracise from 'your' bar. The 'management' and 'ownership' changes hands on a regular rotation but it's still the same low-life's running the show.

I also don't know of any bars in CM of that nature however there are boiler room operators there.

I'm not suggesting that people enter into fisticuffs with these people, but I certainly don't want to associate with people that steal pensioners savings for a living, I know you will share that thought.

They are stealing peoples dreams of retirement holidays, stealing nest eggs for a rainy day. For many pensioners they don't want for themselves, they want to pass on to their kids and grandkids.

What a thing to steal from someone. Heart rending.

[Acemaker]

Chiang Mai is full of these Scum Bags, mostly Brits, the majority of them drink in a Bar run by a guy from Southampton, the name of the Bar ESCAPES me now !

[MEL1]

I do not disagree with the above comments as to how low these individuals are on the evolutionary scale, but come on!!! People get into these scams because they want to make easy money NOW. They let their own greed dupe them into believing the scammer. It is a shame that someone had to lose his life as a result of this scam, but sooner or later one has to believe what we have always been told: "If it sounds too good to be true, it is".

True for some, not for all. Please don't be offended however your attitude is part of the problem, you are not recognizing the scale and sophistication of this scourge.

Anyone that's interested, google SAS Fire and Security Services, this company was exposed in Scotland, convicted in England. They took £18 million in 3 years using the techniques that the boiler room scum use.

£18 million in 3 years.

They bullied, lied, intimidated, harassed and used up to 29 techniques that are banned by the Office of Fair Trading.

The boiler room boys are in Thailand because of it's lax attitude to this type of scam. Go on youtube and search for boiler room calls. Your blood will run cold the next time you see this scum when you really understand what they do for a living.

The victims truly are victims, don't give this scum the time of day.

There is a saying that you can't con an honest man, only a greedy one, but most of these scummers prey on the vulnerable.

That's their modus operandi, they churn through thousands of calls every week being rightly told to eff off by we switched on individuals. Then they snare the vulnerable, the defenceless.

Anyone that takes the EASY and IGNORANT attitude that anyone that gets taken in by these scumbags deserves it is making it EASIER FOR THEM TO OPERATE.

Do not be complicit through ignorance, our older TV members will no doubt confirm that old age does not come alone. It is very common for older people to lose their self confidence and to become vulnerable for various reasons.

If this thread does nothing else but have some people reconsider their ill thought out attitude to this issue then it's worth it.

If we cannot help protect the weak then what kind of men are we?

I'm not with you on this one Blether, nor GKid..... for various reasons.

For a start, your last comment about 'if we cannot protect the weak.....' - what's next? Are you going out to feed Thailand, and then Laos, and then.... ..... .....?

You talk about the weak and vulnerable, well don't you think people hold a great deal of responsibility for the way they are, or have become?

OK, these guys may be professional scammers, just like the Nigerian most laughed at for scamming the Thai woman, referring to her needing to learn a lesson we have all had to learn, as farang!

I'm not exactly young, and I have had my fair number of approaches from what I would term 'obvious scammers', no matter how professional they are. I could see through them from a mile, especially when they force or try to force a deal. Alarm bells ring, and adrenalin kicks in to say f off. It aint sso difficult to defend one's assets if one isn't out to make an easy buck, or out to make anything at all, as in my case.

You seem to have taken this news so personally, as has GKid that it makes me wonder if you have been duped.

There is much more serious stuff going on aside from the scamming world, and I hold small pittance for those who fall into the trap. As for they all being weak, vulnerable, on medication or mentally slow - sorry, but give the evidence, please, to reference such proof.

-mel

[edwinclapham]

http://www.dailynews.co.th/crime/118535

A picture of a couple of them on the above link.

[MEL1]

There are lots of vulnerable farangs in Thailand I know of a friend who has been fleeced by loan sharks for 12 million baht due to his thai business partner taking out huge bank loan and then walking it happens all the time.

I hope the scumbags mentioned in this article get put away for a very long time but there again money talks even at the highest level

Please tell me how he was "VULNERABLE" when he invested 12M with a Thai business-partner?

If he didn't know the ins and outs he wasn't 'vulnerable' at all, he was plain dumb!!!

-mel.

[PingManDan]

Complete and utter scum, scum, scum. These scumbags are standing in bars throughout Thailand boasting about their antics. I met two in CM recently, and I gave them both barrels, they weren't expecting that.

Ostracise these people, if they walk into your bar then walk out, they spend their days picking the pockets of pensioners and others.

There is no middle ground, don't let this scum think they are welcome anywhere near you. They are a disgrace to the human race.

Why would anyone want to do what these ass_holes asked, send their entire savings to this guys bank account, got to be pretty dense to do that

Edited June 8, 2012 by PingManDan

[OldgitTom]

Agreed: these perps are barely qualified for field manure.

Just add, on a much larger scale, global bankers are doing much the same. The boilerhouses of Wall Street & The City of London thieve from investors, bank accounts, public institutions & pension schemes. And it's all legal. Only gutsy little Iceland told this filth to FO. OGT

[flyingsporran]

why no photos of the 10 foreigners that got caught ?

Excellent post Bangkoksimon. No significant photos. No significant story. No boss names. No companies named. Best they have got on the face of this story is maybe a small bunch of loaders/coolers. The boiler room bosses claim that have Thonglor and Lumpini under their control - have done for a long time.

Hark back to Thonglor Soi 23(or 25) in 2009. Many arrests. But everybody disappeared from the system. The tipster however was framed and is now in jail.

Best result here is maybe a few deportations for working w/o permit. breach of SEC regulations. Status Quo. Thonglor are not equipped to deal with this case.

The British soldier's life will not be compensated on the basis of a local investigation. I assume the British Embassy went higher though.

Edited June 8, 2012 by flyingsporran

[Loaded]

http://www.dailynews...th/crime/118535

A picture of a couple of them on the above link.

Google translate of the story:

The call center services coordinator for the gang.

Thursday, June 7, 2555 at 15:59 am

Junction 5 of the police force and police Kk.ss.bk.n. Kk.ss.bk.n. 2, and pine. Lo. Raids a home at 138/9 Soi 39, Sukhumvit Rd, Wattana, after receiving the cooperation of the British Embassy said. The group accused the foreign country is on the phone to trick foreigners. , Which mainly is a native of Europe since joined: investment in the affairs gold oil, jewelry. Activities and exchanges that do not exist. The yield is 20 percent believe that there are multiple victims. British military officials, one of which is the one that retires to be deceived as to be suicidal. The results can arrest the accused foreigners of all of the 10 cases with multiple reportedly offered to them.

Progress is (7. Jun) Pol.Capt. Nikon glass angel person (Level 1) Thong Lor police station after the arrest of a lawsuit that accused the group of 10 people to care. Lo prosecuted since the evening (6. Jun), a preliminary inquiry on the alleged offender is found that 6 men 4 women were naturalized Filipino citizen 2 and 6 and 2 men, all British passport does not show in any way. </span>All the accused pleaded guilty, but just to get it. I work for a company. (Flash Point Media Science), with the only contact with customers. In this afternoon. The interface to the interpreter. The embassy of the interrogation, the accused all three countries to participate more in again. All the accused to be detained in jail at the Criminal Court of Southern Bangkok. The next day at 10.00 am.</span>

[Sailfish1]

I hope those scumbags get a very long prison term and all their possessions and money are confiscated. It's truly sad that there are such bad people in the world.

[metisdead]

A troll post and the subsequent replies have been removed.

[MEL1]

http://www.dailynews...th/crime/118535

A picture of a couple of them on the above link.

Google translate of the story:

The call center services coordinator for the gang.

Thursday, June 7, 2555 at 15:59 am

Junction 5 of the police force and police Kk.ss.bk.n. Kk.ss.bk.n. 2, and pine. Lo. Raids a home at 138/9 Soi 39, Sukhumvit Rd, Wattana, after receiving the cooperation of the British Embassy said. The group accused the foreign country is on the phone to trick foreigners. , Which mainly is a native of Europe since joined: investment in the affairs gold oil, jewelry. Activities and exchanges that do not exist. The yield is 20 percent believe that there are multiple victims. British military officials, one of which is the one that retires to be deceived as to be suicidal. The results can arrest the accused foreigners of all of the 10 cases with multiple reportedly offered to them.

Progress is (7. Jun) Pol.Capt. Nikon glass angel person (Level 1) Thong Lor police station after the arrest of a lawsuit that accused the group of 10 people to care. Lo prosecuted since the evening (6. Jun), a preliminary inquiry on the alleged offender is found that 6 men 4 women were naturalized Filipino citizen 2 and 6 and 2 men, all British passport does not show in any way. </span>All the accused pleaded guilty, but just to get it. I work for a company. (Flash Point Media Science), with the only contact with customers. In this afternoon. The interface to the interpreter. The embassy of the interrogation, the accused all three countries to participate more in again. All the accused to be detained in jail at the Criminal Court of Southern Bangkok. The next day at 10.00 am.</span>

That's useful.

-mel.

[ralphlsasser]

IMHO, anyone that will fall for the scums lies has to be weak minded in the first place. If it's too good to be true, it isn't.

[DGS1244]

I do not disagree with the above comments as to how low these individuals are on the evolutionary scale, but come on!!! People get into these scams because they want to make easy money NOW. They let their own greed dupe them into believing the scammer. It is a shame that someone had to lose his life as a result of this scam, but sooner or later one has to believe what we have always been told: "If it sounds too good to be true, it is".

You are correct in respect to some scams. Unfortunately, you are very wrong in respect to the ones that target the elderly. Keep in mind that typically the older victims are not as sharp as they once were. They can be suffering from age related illnesses that can impact their cognitive abilities. Or, they are alone and vulnerable. Long term solitude can do a number on a person. The scams can be quite sophisticated in respect to referencing relatives, or invoices or bank accounts and claiming there is an error or other problem. Often the requests are not for large sums, but are continuous harassments. We wouldn't blame a mentally disabled younger person if he or she was conned would we? Why then, should we be so quick to blame the elderly who are vulnerable?

Totally agree with your sentiment, elderly people can be very vulnarable. It would have been nice to knw a little mre about the scam and also where the scammers came from. Someone mentioned hearing a conversatin in CM between two scammers, again any idea where they came from and which bar you where in, I can then avoid them.

[Rob8891]

Complete and utter scum, scum, scum. These scumbags are standing in bars throughout Thailand boasting about their antics. I met two in CM recently, and I gave them both barrels, they weren't expecting that.

Ostracise these people, if they walk into your bar then walk out, they spend their days picking the pockets of pensioners and others.

There is no middle ground, don't let this scum think they are welcome anywhere near you. They are a disgrace to the human race.

Well it is bad....but there are a lot much worse things than cheating some money out of pensioners who think to make an unreasonable profit.

what is the cut of point between a reasonable and an unreasonable profit?

So what you are saying when you cheat some one out of money there is allowed a reasonable profit.

Sounds like a used car salesman to me.

It seems the key word in all of this is "cheat"..... Taking that into account (no pun intended), the actual amount is irrelevant....

I'd like to think that the barstewards who perpetrated this scam could get a heavier sentence due to this poor guy's death, but that ain't gonna happen.

[theblether]

@mel

Your over analysing, I know victims, and I have met guys boasting about it in CM bars. I know what I know, and I know these guys are scum.

[vet43]

Sad to here of soldiers demise.This happens more often than you may think across a complete spectrum of society....from single moms ,the elderly to directors,Have a look at trade2win and type in boiler rooms and you will see many falling prey.The industry preys on Greed and quick gains that are to good to be true.

never send money to a stranger over the phone..use your common sense..and just hang up.

Stay Safe

[Jaivin2011]

What is needed is for the police to place the photos and details of the ten people working in the call scam in all the paers along with details of their families and also details of the investor. Then let human nature takes it full course along with heavy sentencing for them. There are lot of these fillipinos and also westerners working in these call scams in thailand not forgetting the famous taiwanese and also singaporean and malaysian chinese groups and also the nigerians. Anybody who comes across such scums or know of such scums should place their details online maybe on a facebook acct. These scum really need to be spat on!

[blackthorn2005]

I do not disagree with the above comments as to how low these individuals are on the evolutionary scale, but come on!!! People get into these scams because they want to make easy money NOW. They let their own greed dupe them into believing the scammer. It is a shame that someone had to lose his life as a result of this scam, but sooner or later one has to believe what we have always been told: "If it sounds too good to be true, it is".

You are correct in respect to some scams. Unfortunately, you are very wrong in respect to the ones that target the elderly. Keep in mind that typically the older victims are not as sharp as they once were. They can be suffering from age related illnesses that can impact their cognitive abilities. Or, they are alone and vulnerable. Long term solitude can do a number on a person. The scams can be quite sophisticated in respect to referencing relatives, or invoices or bank accounts and claiming there is an error or other problem. Often the requests are not for large sums, but are continuous harassments. We wouldn't blame a mentally disabled younger person if he or she was conned would we? Why then, should we be so quick to blame the elderly who are vulnerable?

The old are often looking to support their pension income, as what the government gives them is insufficient, many die of hypothermia in the winter, whilst all sorts of immigrants are welcomed house and paid benefits. Rivers of blood!

[hotandhumid]

Has the blether said they are sum yet?

[Suradit69]

I do not disagree with the above comments as to how low these individuals are on the evolutionary scale, but come on!!! People get into these scams because they want to make easy money NOW. They let their own greed dupe them into believing the scammer. It is a shame that someone had to lose his life as a result of this scam, but sooner or later one has to believe what we have always been told: "If it sounds too good to be true, it is".

Yes, the scammers are scum, but the people who are pulled into these things are gullible and greedy. The fact that this guy was British or a soldier or whatever is largely irrelevant. Scammers thrive because vulnerable people exist. If someone tells you he can turn dross into gold or that you can make fantastic returns in dubious investments and you believe it, you should have someone else manage your affairs.

Bernie Madoff fooled loads of "really smart " people, businesses and charities in his $50 billion scam for one reason, his victims were all more greedy than they were sensble.

Edited June 8, 2012 by Suradit69

[MEL1]

Sad to here of soldiers demise.This happens more often than you may think across a complete spectrum of society....from single moms ,the elderly to directors,Have a look at trade2win and type in boiler rooms and you will see many falling prey.The industry preys on Greed and quick gains that are to good to be true.

never send money to a stranger over the phone..use your common sense..and just hang up.

Stay Safe

*Quoted post which has deleted removed from quote*

No mention of protecting anyone mate..just pointing to a source where one can wise up to the scam..A person died an i simply passed my respects do you have a problem with that.. MEL

Nope, not at all.

-mel.

[MEL1]

I do not disagree with the above comments as to how low these individuals are on the evolutionary scale, but come on!!! People get into these scams because they want to make easy money NOW. They let their own greed dupe them into believing the scammer. It is a shame that someone had to lose his life as a result of this scam, but sooner or later one has to believe what we have always been told: "If it sounds too good to be true, it is".

You are correct in respect to some scams. Unfortunately, you are very wrong in respect to the ones that target the elderly. Keep in mind that typically the older victims are not as sharp as they once were. They can be suffering from age related illnesses that can impact their cognitive abilities. Or, they are alone and vulnerable. Long term solitude can do a number on a person. The scams can be quite sophisticated in respect to referencing relatives, or invoices or bank accounts and claiming there is an error or other problem. Often the requests are not for large sums, but are continuous harassments. We wouldn't blame a mentally disabled younger person if he or she was conned would we? Why then, should we be so quick to blame the elderly who are vulnerable?

many die of hypothermia in the winter, whilst all sorts of immigrants are welcomed house and paid benefits. Rivers of blood!

Many die of what? ... in Thailand? &lt;deleted&gt;?

Piece of advice for the olde pensioners; Don't go to live at the top of a mountain in Chiang Rai in Jan/Feb!

-mel.

[blackthorn2005]

Sad to here of soldiers demise.This happens more often than you may think across a complete spectrum of society....from single moms ,the elderly to directors,Have a look at trade2win and type in boiler rooms and you will see many falling prey.The industry preys on Greed and quick gains that are to good to be true.

never send money to a stranger over the phone..use your common sense..and just hang up.

Stay Safe

More British servicemen who served in the Falkland Islands 30 years ago, have committed suicide than were killed during the whole conflict!