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.

Any stats on the sick buffalo scam?

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.

The black money scam has no Mr Bigs.............it's a chronic scam that is taking place all over the World, I have some black money in my possession right now given to me by a third party source in Glasgow. We were highly amused at how stupid the scam was.

At the same time another friend met a guy in Dubai who tried the same scam on him...........I can't be bothered going into the full story but if this article has any value it is to alert people to it's existence.

You would need to be beyond stupid to fall for this one.

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.

No need for attack dogs,snipers, drones or any other Ian Flemming paraphernalia, just some common sense and logical thinking.

How many black african nationals would you expect to turn up around the appointed time at this location in which they did have under video survelliance as they can even state the number and gender of the occupants of the car. the simple presence of a persuit vehicle ( Aston Martin replete with gadgets not required) to tail this car as there was a high possibility/probility that this was indeed the culprit would have garnered far more data for very little effort. He could have arrived in a manner of ways , on foot , motor bilke or convenentional taxi or by private transport. They should have been prepared for this eventually.

As for the other passengers they could have been stopped for almost anything in this country after the identity of the "courier" hade been confirmed and have an ID and document and at least they would know who they were.

You should be more than aware that as a foregner in this country that there are fairly strict rules regarding passport and visa requirements . Any anomaly and you are off to the station.. No drones , no snipers,attack dogs or satalites , just good police work, dilegence and some common sense. Done and Dusted

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.

Everybody looks out for "Number 1". Don't you? It's human nature. What's wrong with that?

Incredible, quiet incredible! People actually fall for scams like this? Hardly outsmarting IMHO though.

Incredible, quiet incredible! People actually fall for scams like this? Hardly outsmarting IMHO though.

As I said before, the losses to fraudsters of this type worldwide runs into billions of dollars annually. It is Nigeria's third-largest export industry.

Many of the people who lose money are not those you would typically think of as 'stupid' -- doctors, lawyers and bankers -- but have an inflated opinion of their own discernment in these matters.

Take the case of Nelson Tetsuo Sakaguchi, a senior director of Brazilian bank Banco Noroeste S.A. of Sao Paulo got caught up in a scam and embezzled $242 million between 1995 and 1998 in the 3rd biggest scam in banking history.

The perp in this case was just a chancer, but generally it is a very organised activity.

http://www.safety-security-crazy.com/nigerian-scams.html

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.

Everybody looks out for "Number 1". Don't you? It's human nature. What's wrong with that?

Read what I'm saying and maybe you'll understand what I'm saying. She tried doing the wrong thing, it didn't work, then she decided to do the right thing.

Is this something you're used to doing? Do you try to scam people, and if it doesn't work, then you become a saint? Seems like you're justifying her actions or trolling for an argument with asinine comments like that.

I think she just reported him because she didn't want to go to the US.

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.

Everybody looks out for "Number 1". Don't you? It's human nature. What's wrong with that?

Read what I'm saying and maybe you'll understand what I'm saying. She tried doing the wrong thing, it didn't work, then she decided to do the right thing.

Is this something you're used to doing? Do you try to scam people, and if it doesn't work, then you become a saint? Seems like you're justifying her actions or trolling for an argument with asinine comments like that.

I was actually referring to the part about looking out for "Number 1". No, I don't scam and no I'm not trolling or looking for an argument. You wrote that it was a "Thai thing" to look out for number one. I'm saying it's not just a Thai thing, it's in our nature to look out for ourselves.Thais do it, we do it, everybody does it.

Just in case you haven't understood the case: she was the victim of the scam, not the scammer.

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

He looks like a fairly big bloke in the OP, but he would need to be if he indeed carried a "safe" into the restaurant with him for the money transfer?? (From the full story link in the OP)

I notice a lot of people posting are having a go at the Thai nurse that reported the scam to the police (surprise, surprise).

Perhaps you should read the full story from the provided link in the OP. Here is an out take:

"After hearing her report, the police set up an entrapment plan. They gave Ms. Chalalai 100,000 in photocopied THB banknotes. The police than had her inform the contact person inThailand that she had the rest of the money to pay for the solution to remove the dye".

All I can say is good for her, and with a bit of luck the rest of these parasites will be arrested as well. Can't understand why the police let the car leave the scene in the first place though.

He looks fit, I think he may loose a few kilos in Thai prison and hopefully a few years of his life.

But, by the time he's done he should have a firm grasp of a foreign language that he'll never be able to use because the Thai government will throw this worthless POS back to his homeland.

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.

So, she first colluded with a criminal in the hope of getting a share of the moolah and a get-out-of-Thailand card as a bonus. When that didn't seem to work out she got herself a moral makeover.

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.

So, she first colluded with a criminal in the hope of getting a share of the moolah and a get-out-of-Thailand card as a bonus. When that didn't seem to work out she got herself a moral makeover.

I think you have this spot on.

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

Funny how that works. But if you flip it on them, there is hell to pay.

Personally, I enjoy watching and hearing about Thais getting cheated. It is cultural karma.

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

Funny how that works. But if you flip it on them, there is hell to pay.

Personally, I enjoy watching and hearing about Thais getting cheated. It is cultural karma.

I suspect the cops can't milk those buffalos.

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.

Everybody looks out for "Number 1". Don't you? It's human nature. What's wrong with that?

Read what I'm saying and maybe you'll understand what I'm saying. She tried doing the wrong thing, it didn't work, then she decided to do the right thing.

Is this something you're used to doing? Do you try to scam people, and if it doesn't work, then you become a saint? Seems like you're justifying her actions or trolling for an argument with asinine comments like that.

I was actually referring to the part about looking out for "Number 1". No, I don't scam and no I'm not trolling or looking for an argument. You wrote that it was a "Thai thing" to look out for number one. I'm saying it's not just a Thai thing, it's in our nature to look out for ourselves.Thais do it, we do it, everybody does it.

Just in case you haven't understood the case: she was the victim of the scam, not the scammer.

Maybe we just have a different perspective. To me she looks like an accomplice who turned to a victim who then turned into an informant. That's my point, I can't condone her as outsmarting the guy and being a model citizen. If you steal money and return, it doesn't negate the theft. The same, she invested with this guy and wanted to marry him then she turned him in. It doesn't negate the fact she participated until she lost her 42,000 baht.

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.thailawfo...n-Thailand.html

You mean they scammed you to and sold you fake drugs? Or you are involved in Police work here in Thailand.

True confessions here.

Who's next?

It wasn't until "Later" that she felt he was a swindler? Not the brightest bulb on the tree I am guessing...