European conmen arrested in $10 million Thai scam

BANGKOK, July 6, 2012 (AFP) - A gang of international fraudsters who duped European victims into investing eight million euros ($9.9 million) in fake funds have been arrested in Bangkok, Thai immigration police said Friday.

The 15 foreigners, among them six Britons, two Americans, a South African and a German, told their victims they were brokers for high-return funds and lured them into transferring cash into a Swiss bank account.

They were arrested on Thursday in central Bangkok, according to Police Major General Preecha Thimamontri, of Thai immigration police, adding that they may have made millions more euros from the scam.

A statement from immigration police said the gang sourced their victims from research companies and told customers they "could make 65 percent profit in (a) short time" by investing in gold and cash funds.

"Police seized 16 computers, printers, copy-machine and other equipment to connect to the Internet and documents with victims' information," the statement seen by AFP said.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-07-06

Is this the office that was raided in Sukhummvit then?!

Is this the office that was raided in Sukhummvit then?!

Remember the kids' programme, Rainbow? With teddy and Brian Cant?

These guys were fans of Brian Cant, called the "Cants"......

Hope they drop dead with shock, like Bill and Ben, when Andy Pandy came out to play!

-m.

where the money?

More scum to fill up Thai jails. Don't know how many foreigners are in jail here but it must be a good few thousand.

What was the name of the company???

What was the name of the company???

PONZI-Bank Intl.

Nice work Thai immigration / police. Lock them up and throw away the keys. They're always on TV talking about and castigating other nationals ( notably Nigerian, West Africans. Indians, Arabs, etc. ) while they commit the very same crimes those people commit. Hmm! I guess it's all a smoke screen after all.

It's not as if they're going to jail for any longer than it takes to throw 'em outta Thailand for working illegally so let's not get carried away here.

I've heard of people being thrown out and walking back into the country in the time it takes to get a new tourist visa.

You can see these types larging it at any number of upscale, farang-oriented bars & clubs in BKK. Just look for braying, shaven-headed poseurs in slacks and work-shirts around a table with a big bottle of Grey Goose. There'll usually be a gaggle of freelancers gyrating nearby too.

Police cracks call-centre scam, 15 arrested

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Police have arrested 15 foreigners, most of them hailing from Europe, for allegedly running a call-centre scam and duping several people into wiring more than Bt320 million into their accounts.

Of the suspects, six are British, two American, two Romanians, three from the Philippines, one German and one South African national. The suspects were arrested recently at a flat in Sukhumvit Soi 13, where they ran the scam based on bogus stock-market trade. The suspects usually worked from 1pm to midnight - the period most stock exchanges overseas operated.

Police said that most of the victims were Westerners, who were advised by the suspects - posing as independent brokers - that they could make 95 per cent profit from their investment in exchange for a 25-per-cent cut. The suspects had allegedly opened a bank account in Switzerland, which they used to transfer money to Malaysia-based accounts and then on to Thailand.

Meanwhile, police arrested a Liberian national and a Guinea national for duping an American into buying a magic potion for Bt147,000, which could allegedly turn US dollar bills of a lower denomination into $100 bills. The victim notified police after the suspects demanded another Bt1 million in exchange for the key to a safe deposit where the remainder of the potion was kept.

-- The Nation 2012-07-07

Multinational call centre gang arrested

BANGKOK, July 7 - A multi-national call centre gang was arrested on Friday in the Thai capital, according to Thai immigration police.

The gang of 15 persons, comprised of six Britons, two Americans, one German, two Romanians, one South African, and three Filipinos, were apprehended at an apartment in Bangkok's upscale Sukhumvit area.

Presenting themselves to their victims as brokers, the suspects used an apartment as their operations base to lure European investors to invest in the stock exchange of Thailand, with a profit of 65 per cent to return to investors in a short-term period.

Over Bt320 million of damage has been done by the scheme. All the money was transferred to Switzerland, Malaysia and Thailand respectively.

Police immigration said the detainees received a 25 per cent share of the sum of money they could attract from their victims. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-07-07

The potion bit has to be someone taking the piss - right

quite funny they printed it

Greedy Stupid people.. "If it sounds to good to be true.... It probably is"

Whats so suprisisng about the magic potion.. the US Fed has been using this technology for years albeit in somewhat more recognisable form "printing press".

What was the name of the company???

and did they advertise here on thai visa forum?

What ever happens to these people?You always see the prerecrisite customary photo call and then never hear anything else again...this is the second bust of its kind in a fortnight,both similar and the last one up by sukhumvit 22 with 3 Brit's arrested there.The bars around Cowboy and Soi 33 will be a bit quieter I suspect this next few weeks!

nothing happens to those people. Usually the governement and attorneys assigned to the case end up taking all the money as fees while they investigate and after a while the scammers get released.

When I saw this I was hoping Brits were not involved but sadly 6 are. At least a couple of Americans and other types of Farangs are too...So that's good news.

So Brits are not the only Farang criminals you might be surprised to know. All manner of Farangs can be dishonest too. So, there you go.

Only 6 Brits out of 15 is quite good....Seriously. BKK is a Mecca for Dodgy Brits and other Dodgy Farangs too.

Brits just have organizing skills that make them more visible when they get caught you see...

Clever those Dodgy Brits...Bless 'em. Hearts of Gold they have. Just be dead careful though.

Edited July 7, 201214 yr by TantraMantra

I said it here once that Westerners are Comiting more crime in our Dear Thailand than Africans,or any other country,some people call me names and insulted me,today WHAT IS THIS? There is not single Nigerian or west african in this case,yet they are been BLACKLISTED in THAILAND,i hope Britons,Americans,South Africans and Germanys will also Be BLACKLISTED now that the world have knows their Evil Activities in Thailand. since we judge a whole race or country base on the crime comiting by few from that race or country.

So Brits are the main customers at brothels here?

Is it true that most from Sidney make generalizations, and suffer from erectile dis functions?

BKK is a Mecca for Dodgy Brits

So is London....

I can't understand the bile here. It's not as though they've hurt anyone.

This is just another excuse for the TV membership to rant on about how holy and upstanding they are....

This is a perennial in Thailand, like the jewellery scam, so don't expect anything to change despite papa Chalerm's "crackdowns". More than twenty years ago I remember being at a loose end job wise and answering an ad in the BP. I fetched up at an office on Silom where a very repulsive tatted and pumped forty-something-ish American with bad manners and worse breath gave me the speil.about how much I could earn. Needless to say at the beginning the job was presented to prospective employees as legitimate, though it was clear immediately to anyone with half a brain what the scam was - they were looking for people with the ability to suspend first their belief, and later their morals.

Organising skills and big mouths around the bars unfortunately ..always cracks me up when I hear guys telling me they are financial advisers and would I like information on how to get 'in'(last time into the Pakistan share market!)Mind you not as bad as the peak a few years back when every other person in town was proclaiming to be a financial adviser...from Clapham!!!

What was the name of the company???

Honest Bob's investments pty ltd.

This type of villainy would not occur if youngsters would just take part in David Cameron's 'Big Society' programme.

If only they had listened to Dave they wouldn't be in this mess. I hope they reflect on that when they're sleeping on the sweaty floor with some guys feet in their mouth.

Edited July 7, 201214 yr by Yunla

BKK is a Mecca for Dodgy Brits

So is London....

I can't understand the bile here. It's not as though they've hurt anyone.

This is just another excuse for the TV membership to rant on about how holy and upstanding they are....

So you find it acceptable to relieve vulnerable pensioners of their life savings?

BKK is a Mecca for Dodgy Brits

So is London....

I can't understand the bile here. It's not as though they've hurt anyone.

This is just another excuse for the TV membership to rant on about how holy and upstanding they are....

The people who were cheated out of $10,000,000 might feel just a little bit hurt.

But you know it's true. However, to be fair it's a Mecca for Dodgy Americans, Germans, French, Russians, Mongolians, Dwarfs and Irish too.

We're not like that on TV though...God forbid.

Edited July 7, 201214 yr by TantraMantra

Sounds like they may have missed a payment to certain police person for protection.

probably be given time to make it up, i notice no names printed this time

So you find it acceptable to relieve vulnerable pensioners of their life savings?

How do you know they were targeting pensioners?

More "barstool" wisdom there. You've been reading too much Stickman....

Edited July 7, 201214 yr by HeavyDrinker