Burapha Nurse Outsmarts 'Black Money' Swindler

A 30-year-old nurse got duped by a man she met on Facebook. She sent him money he claimed was needed for chemicals to wash the dye from $3.5 million U.S. dollars, which was smuggled through Thai customs. She notified police, who later arrested a man with a safe of fake “black money.”

CHONBURI – November 1, 2012 [PDN]; at 3:30 p.m., a report of a “black money” scam was received by Pol. Col. Itthiporn Potong, Sansuk police station, Muang Chonburi.

Making the report was the victim, Ms. Chalalai Boonman, age 30, a nurse form Burapha University hospital. She told police that she met a man through Facebook who claimed to be working for the Shell oil company in New York, U.S.A.

They kept corresponding and became very close. But the man lied to her and said he had “black money” in U.S. dollar banknotes that was kept in a safe in Thailand. There was about $3.5 million U.S. dollars, or the equivalent of 100 million Baht, he said.

But he told her the money had been dyed black in order to smuggle it through customs. So he asked Ms. Chalalai to help him buy a solution to wash the dye from the money, which would cost $150,000 U.S. dollars, or 4.5 million baht.

But he said once they got the money, they would live happily together in America. But first she had to send him 42,000 baht. He would then forward her payment to the person holding the safe in Thailand to “wash” the money. So she transferred money to his bank account. But later she felt he was a swindler, so she came to the police.

Full story: http://www.pattayada...ey’-swindler/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2012-11-02

He tried to swindle a Thai, well perhaps he can get some training in prison from some professionals, good on the lady for spotting the scam, she was only a little greedy, not so greedy that the scammer got everything, I wonder how much she will get by way of a reward?

Sounds like she should be arrested for being an accomplice. She sent him money to fund what she thought was an illegal operation. Is kinda like someone spending money on fake narcotics. Are they the victim too? They thought they were buying real narcotics. If the person selling the fake narcotics has done wrong then so has the one intending to buy them.

She hardly outsmarted him

money laundry and black money gets a new meaning....

Sounds like she didn't receive a cut of her initial 42,000 baht investment, got angry, and double crossed her partner/future husband.

Sounds like a typical scam, she just got mad and did the Thai thing, pull a 180 and look out for number one.

Sounds like she should be arrested for being an accomplice.

The full story doesn't read like that to me, and was more a police organized entrapment with the woman.

I'm sure I read this recently before, or is this another dick?

-mel.

I think I remember reading Mitt Romney got his Bain start up money the using same method.

Aptly titled me thinks?

These scam artist rely on peoples greed and there ain't too many greedier than Thai's, initially she was obviously tempted (as would be a lot of people) but has a 'touch of the seconds' and lets the police take over, hardly outsmarting the guy?

More like 'I have dropped a <deleted>, I want my money back' so off she pop's to the local MIB who 'pool' a couple of weeks tea money and organize the sting!

An old saying comes to mind, 'It takes a thief to catch a thief'

Nevertheless the right end result (only just).

He should have saved some of that green money before he dyed it all black to buy some of that transformation liquid to turn all that money back into its original color...I CANNOT believe gullible people are.

He does look good in HANDCUFFS thats for sure.

Edited November 2, 201213 yr by jerrysteve

Haven't met an African male (mainly Nigerian) in Thailand who has not had a scam from something happening. I used to get approached in Supermarkets, idle chatter, trying to get money to walking in Sukhumvit Nua Soi 3, always hitting on me. From experience there are a lot of drugs being dealt by them as well as fake drugs to people whom we have used to set them up for a sting. Check out the number of male Africans in Thai jails and you will know. The black note fraud is decades old. Read this for an insight... http://www.thailawforum.com/Nigerians-In-Thailand.html

Not only Nigerians , most west african countries peoples seem to be "at it" in many different ways. The amazing thing is that people are stupid enough to fall for these scams......

Would have been much more credible, if he'd claimed the money was currently in Hong Kong, instead !

So err,,,,,,what happened to the safe full of 'black money' in the coffee shop?

I don't think the police would have acted so swiftly in a sick buffalo swindle.

So err,,,,,,what happened to the safe full of 'black money' in the coffee shop?

Its been sent to be laundered.

So she's a 30 yr old nurse from Burapha University Hospital which is quite a modern and profesional establishment.

The story says 'nurse'. I would hope that a nurse would be someone who has more common sense than to believe the claims of special chemicals to remove the dye, etc., etc. Common sense would surely indicate that such chemicals might be a little expensive, but would be a stock chemical, and certainly not costing millions of Baht. I guess she belived the chemicals had 'magical powers'.

She acted upon the claim that a very large amount of cash had been smuggled through Thai customs, IMHO (if there was actual cash) she would also be guilty of aiding and abetting a crime. The fact that she got involved at all shows her lack of honesty, morals and ethics.

Bottom line - If I, or a member of my family were in hospital I would be hoping the nursing staff were of better 'quality' (common sense) than this nurse woman.

Because of previous mistakes in several Thai hospitals involving my immediate and extended Thai family, I think we will continue our policy of insisting on seeing the doctors notes about medication etc., before it's given. And insist on seeing the labels on the medicines or injection vials before they are administered, and seriosly instruct the nursing supervisor that tablets or injections etc., are not to be administered unless a family member is present.

Edited November 2, 201213 yr by scorecard

I am amazed about the overal ineptness of this "bust". Surely the officer in charge could speculate that the person picking up the cash was most likely to be a lower level employee and not Mr Big himself and he could possibly arrive by car. They had surveillance on the arrival of the pick up man as they claim to have pictures of him arriving in a car with others. I would have thought it would have been SOP to have a persuit vehicle standing by to follow this vehicle so that when the drop went down and was confirmed they could then call the survelllance team and advise them to pick up the rest of the bunch. Done and dusted.

I must be hanging out in a different part of Facebook based on this story and the story yesterday about the cross border facebook drug purchase.

Edited November 2, 201213 yr by Nisa

Sounds like she should be arrested for being an accomplice. She sent him money to fund what she thought was an illegal operation. Is kinda like someone spending money on fake narcotics. Are they the victim too? They thought they were buying real narcotics. If the person selling the fake narcotics has done wrong then so has the one intending to buy them.

An accomplice to what, washing stains off money? There could be a charge for helping somebody after the fact not declare money at customs but there also may very well not be.

Edited November 2, 201213 yr by Nisa

I am amazed about the overal ineptness of this "bust". Surely the officer in charge could speculate that the person picking up the cash was most likely to be a lower level employee and not Mr Big himself and he could possibly arrive by car. They had surveillance on the arrival of the pick up man as they claim to have pictures of him arriving in a car with others. I would have thought it would have been SOP to have a persuit vehicle standing by to follow this vehicle so that when the drop went down and was confirmed they could then call the survelllance team and advise them to pick up the rest of the bunch. Done and dusted.

Is there anything to indicate that this is not the main guy in Thailand beyond he got a ride to the department store. Could it be they didn't know who he was or what he looked liked until after the identified himself to the women? Why would anybody reasonably believe he would be dropped off by friends who wouldn't stick around to drive him back and get their cut of the money? Is it illegal to drop somebody off at a department store? Would they have anything to hold the other passenger(s) or driver on?

But their arresting somebody in a case of a 42,000 baht scam who also was in possession of counterfeit money is definitely inept because they probably should have better prepared in many ways including checking to see if they could get some kind of drone support or possibly move satellites into positions as well as having police dogs on hand in case they fled as well as had sharp shooters positions on nearby roofs in case a gunfight broke out.

Haven't met an African male (mainly Nigerian) in Thailand who has not had a scam from something happening. I used to get approached in Supermarkets, idle chatter, trying to get money to walking in Sukhumvit Nua Soi 3, always hitting on me. From experience there are a lot of drugs being dealt by them as well as fake drugs to people whom we have used to set them up for a sting. Check out the number of male Africans in Thai jails and you will know. The black note fraud is decades old. Read this for an insight... http://www.thailawforum.com/Nigerians-In-Thailand.html

TOP 10 OF FOREIGN NATIONALS IN THAI PRISONS (2009)

1. Myanmar (3,787)

2. Lao (1,994)

3. Cambodia (1,445)

4. Malaysia (325)

5. China (252)

6. Singapore (115)

7. Nigeria (94)

8. Taiwan (91)

9. Vietnam (85)

10. Ghana (65)

http://www.thaiprisonlife.com/thai-prison-statistics/

So, I have to wonder if they had some huge crackdown the last couple years or there is a mistake in the numbers on either mine or your link which states ...

Nigerians now make up one of the largest communities of Africans living both legally and illegally in Thailand. In 2009, they ranked number seven on a list of the top ten foreign nationalities incarcerated in Thailand. In 2011 there were reportedly an estimated 700 Nigerians in Thai prisons, not counting more that had died while detained in Thailand or had been imprisoned in Thailand before being extradited back to Nigeria

I know there has been an awful lot of huge drug busts the last few years but and increase of 600 sounds like a serious enough increase to scare most Nigeria drug dealers away but if anything there seem to be more these days, at least around Soi 3.

Edited November 2, 201213 yr by Nisa

I don't think the police would have acted so swiftly in a sick buffalo swindle.

Quote of the day

Had an African tried to friend my wife on facebook the other day, saying how wonderful she looks and how he hopes they can meet etc.

She showed me and I explained the scams, my wife is a nurse also, and lo and behold only 2 days later I could show her this story.

It sounds like the nurse wasn't getting her "swing" of the washed off money and started thinking that the African guy was shaving points off her end. Like a good Thai, she double crossed her partner and ratted him out. The police gave her a bye on collaboration to commit money laundering if she helped them entrap the African who might lead them to some real stash. This is a case of the African hustler getting outsmarted by the Thai hustler in cohoots with the police, who are always on the take. Not too impressive and not newsworthy. The nurse will go back to looking around for another hustle, the African will "bargain" his way out of the can by double crossing and giving up another African, the police will keep digging up some loose cash. So what's new and newsworthy about this?

The old wash-wash scam has been around for 15 years at least, and because Westerners have stopped falling for it, the Nigerians (who make up the vast majority of the scammers) now target Indians, Chinese and so on, while moving into different scams on Westerners -- romance scams, rental scams. debt collection scams, charity scams, you name it.

Losses are in billions of dollars each year -- see here for more details on scams.

That's one of the Cameroonians who destroyed my marriage.

I hope he gets locked up, but I know he's going to be released soon.

But the police have surveillance photos of the other people talking to Mr. Sanji, and will catch the others later.

So many criminals, so little time.

That's one of the Cameroonians who destroyed my marriage.

I hope he gets locked up, but I know he's going to be released soon.

Do tell.