Scammed - Do You Just Let It Go?

[Gerrardm1]

Advice needed please - nothing serious but more a matter of conscience.

I have tonight been scammed for 1000 baht. And my question is should I let it go, or should I advise the police to prevent it happening to other people.

It's my own stupid fault, but basically last week I was doing a long walk from the hospital end of chaweng towards zicos. En route a thai guy approached me, asking me where I was from etc and if I wanted at Ganga or sniff sniff. I told him very firmly No i was not intrested and just continued walking. He then appeared by the side of me and asked where i was going "i replied to meet friends at Zicos" and he said he was walking that way too, could he walk with me. Being a nice ( stupid) guy I said yes. Anyway had a nice chat heard all about his wife, family sick kid, hospital bills etc. Thankfully arrived at Zicos and said bye to him, and I thought that was the end of it.

Anyway the next day I'm having my daily coffee at Coffe Housewatching the world go by and the same thai guy approaches me and pulls up a chair, sits down and again chats quite amicably for about 20 mins with the hardship stories, his commitment to stopping drinking etc now he has no money to pay rent etc etc. I finish my coffee and feeling pity for him I give him 100 baht and wish him well.

The following 3 days the same thing has happend, with each time me either buying him a beer, coffee or cake whilst he's been chatting to me as if i am his friend.

Anyway tonight the story has taken a twist, whilst he was chatting about his hardships he mentioned his friend has a speed boat and he sometimes had to sleep on there or the beach and that his friend does fishing trips. Now I like fishing and I asked if his friend had any trips tommorrow....he then proceeded to phone his friend ....when finished he said that yes his friend had a trip tomorrow with 2 places left but if we wanted to go we needed to let him know "now". I asked him how much and he said 1000 per person but his friend would only need 500 deposit pp now. I decided to go for it and he said he would go and meet his friend and be back in 20 mins with ticket and collection details.

I waited and waited and then called him he answered and said sorry he wold be there in 5 mins. 20mins later I called him again and his phone was turned off. I waited approx 2 hours and he never came back.

I know realise I have been stupid but equally so has he. For some reason I do have a photo of him, he is very easily identified by his black woollen hat and I even know he lives next to coffee house..... Now my question is do I just let it go and put it down to my own stupidity and experience or do I let the police know? If I did would hey do anything?

Be interesting if he turns up tomorrow and if he does there will probably be another story attached with no money or no trip, or he'll probably hide away until he thinks I've gone

[Boater]

Oh dear ....... I would call the embassey , tourist police and put wanted posters up .

If you haven't the time ! Just move on .. At least he was Thai and not a broke foreigner pulling the same scam

[maccaroni man]

it seems to read like a cheap date, let it go and spend your next 1k on a happier ending.

[wayned]

You could make a sign and picket in front of the place where he lives. Then we could possibly read something interesting, like a drive by shooting of a Picketing Farang!.. Let it go!!

STUPIDITY -1, FARANG - 0

[Boater]

it seems to read like a cheap date, let it go and spend your next 1k on a happier ending.

When I first read the post and saw the magical amount of 1000 thb , I thought it might be something else

I had a friend once who was scammed this way in green mango , 1000 thb for a chat , and she didn't speak English , he had only been in thailand 2 days

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[samuijimmy]

Asking if you wanted " Ganga or sniff sniff" should have set off alarm bells...

Whether Thai or Farang, just try to avoid these people.... they are just looking for their next "fix" whether it be drugs or booze... nothing else matters to them... (friend until the money flow stops) ....... Next....!!!!

As for buying "fishing trip" tickets, or anything else for that matter... never do "street deals"....

Probably best just to put it down to experience and move on... unless you want to send time trying to go through the processes of dealing with the tourist police etc... perhaps it will get the person off the street .... but more likely he'll find a new location....

Here is a sign out side one of the Malls in BKK.... applies everywhere !!!

[parallaxtech]

I was scammed out of 1.5 MB here but didn't have any concrete evidence for the police. It bothered me because I saw the Thai man in Tesco all the time and he just grinned at me. It tormented me for a long time and I thought about doing some serious harm to this guy but several people warned me that even if I got away with it there would be retribution and/or the police would arrest me under suspicion. It will bother me until the day I die, but if you want to have a peaceful life in Thailand it is better to stay under the radar and let things pass. I would view your 1KB loss as just a good deed you did to help some poor guy and forget about it. Don't ask me for details on the scam.

[Tropicalevo]

Any foreigner who lives in Thailand and says that they have NOT been scammed, just has not spotted it yet!

Just look at it as a local tax that we pay for the pleasure of living here. At 1,000 baht - you got off lightly.

[evadgib]

My Trollometer is ticking like a geiger counter on this one:)

[taninthai]

Op says the guy is easily reconized by his black wollem hat, don't be sillythat was his disguise he simply removes it and you wouldn't know him from the next thai guy......lol

[BigC]

when he turns up again with another story which he shall as he sees u as an easy target.

take a photo of him or as many photos as possible and go to the police and tell them you are being stalked.

you would need a thai to help you as they shall not be interest in the slightest unless u have a thai speaking person.

You can try the tourist police but they are pretty useless as the royal Thai police are the people that can close cases Tourist police are just meadiators between the Police force and the public.

Also they are a bit shady.lt would not suprise me if they went into business with this man and took commission.

anyway at leasst take phots of him and put them on the web. This sort of stalking puts people off Thailand and it is really annoying for people trying to make honest business based on toursime when they robbing people harras people untill they leave.

[starcandle]

yes you have been scammed.

Consider it a cheap lesson, I wish I had been scammed for a thousand baht, then maybe just maybe I would not have

been xxxx for the amount I eventually did.

Edited November 29, 2012 by Rooo

[Gerrardm1]

Thanks all - lesson learned and yes I got away very lightly.

[angiud]

Thanks all - lesson learned and yes I got away very lightly.

Anyway, welcome to Thaivisa and the Samui Phangan Koh Thao Forum

[notmyself]

The lesson could have cost much much more.

[smokie36]

My lesson cost half a mill.....think yourself lucky.

Thanks parallaxtech.....at least I got off comparatively lightly.....

[uptheos]

Scammers spot their mark a hundred yards away.

[BigC]

Thanks all - lesson learned and yes I got away very lightly.

scammers should be lined up and ..well the rest is your imiagination .......................................................

[BigC]

You walk up to the scammer where a suite and a breif case. and you shout " Listen u ! u realise ytou are in breach of the LAW"

The you can show him pictures of your self as a youngerster watching LA law to show that you know your business. The you reach in your pocket and pull out some hair jell and say " I SEE YOU IN COURT" pick up your mobile phone and fake a phone call top make your self sound big and say " TELL CHARLES I AM ON MY WAY ......TAXIIIIII"

good luck my legal warrior may the 4th be with you.

[Paangjang]

OP, i'd be interested in hearing more about this. I also have a speedboat. Anyhow, would you like to go out for a coffee or a beer or some cake soon?

[BigC]

OP, i'd be interested in hearing more about this. I also have a speedboat. Anyhow, would you like to go out for a coffee or a beer or some cake soon?

r u magnum, if so we need you. do you have a farrari. cheers

[worgeordie]

When any scammers walk up to you most likely the first thing they ask is where you from,?

expecting you to reply,UK,France,Germany USA, then they have a way in,to ask more

questions,working towards the sting. What I say is I am from Asabenajad or some other

made up country,stops them in their tracks, say bi keep walking, if you just dont engage

in conversation with them you cannot get scammed.

regards Worgeordie

[notmyself]

When any scammers walk up to you most likely the first thing they ask is where you from,?

expecting you to reply,UK,France,Germany USA, then they have a way in,to ask more

questions,working towards the sting. What I say is I am from Asabenajad or some other

made up country,stops them in their tracks, say bi keep walking, if you just dont engage

in conversation with them you cannot get scammed.

regards Worgeordie

I find the best way is to answer in the form of a question. If they ask where you are from then ask for the reason why they wish to know.

[uptheos]

When any scammers walk up to you most likely the first thing they ask is where you from,?

expecting you to reply,UK,France,Germany USA, then they have a way in,to ask more

questions,working towards the sting. What I say is I am from Asabenajad or some other

made up country,stops them in their tracks, say bi keep walking, if you just dont engage

in conversation with them you cannot get scammed.

regards Worgeordie

I find the best way is to answer in the form of a question. If they ask where you are from then ask for the reason why they wish to know.

But then you are engaging them, I'm sure they are ready for that one.

[themadpoorfreelover]

Thanks all - lesson learned and yes I got away very lightly.

awesome story.. sounds like he is stalking you a bit. why don't you give him a job or something? you can pay him 100 baht a day to leave you alone..

[notmyself]

But then you are engaging them, I'm sure they are ready for that one.

Seems to work well for some unknown reason as they tend to slowly back away.

[uptheos]

But then you are engaging them, I'm sure they are ready for that one.

Seems to work well for some unknown reason as they tend to slowly back away.

Well, as long as it works, that's the main thing.

Personally, I find silence and increased walking pace works. Often these scammers crawl out of the woodwork suddenly, with a hearty "HELLO" and often it's difficult not to respond, that's what they are relying on.....a response.

[BigC]

But then you are engaging them, I'm sure they are ready for that one.

Seems to work well for some unknown reason as they tend to slowly back away.

Well, as long as it works, that's the main thing.

Personally, I find silence and increased walking pace works. Often these scammers crawl out of the woodwork suddenly, with a hearty "HELLO" and often it's difficult not to respond, that's what they are relying on.....a response.

yes when the suite poeple approach me and tell me i am their friend and try to shake my hands . i put them in my pocket and blank them. they do not deserve a responese they know what they are doing same taxis

or sometimes i put my hand out to shake it and to the famous hand infront of my face thing.

anyother techneque i use is talking to them. after 30 minutes of listening to my babble they wont be bothering me again but they will know allot about guns, war world war 1 and 2. about my fasination with wall paper my knodelge of planes andf numbers my poems about maths and i can tell them that i used to dress up as a frog and follow strangers in the street. I also tell them that while they are listening to my crap and i have no intension of buying anything they have just let about 100 customers walk past.

Well they wanted to be my mate that is what they have to put up with. normally ui do this when time in on my hands which is not oftern any more unfortunalty

[BigC]

OP, i'd be interested in hearing more about this. I also have a speedboat. Anyhow, would you like to go out for a coffee or a beer or some cake soon?

em interesting this sounds like a scam. let me think i shalll end up in an office being offer a time share.

[BigC]

When any scammers walk up to you most likely the first thing they ask is where you from,?

expecting you to reply,UK,France,Germany USA, then they have a way in,to ask more

questions,working towards the sting. What I say is I am from Asabenajad or some other

made up country,stops them in their tracks, say bi keep walking, if you just dont engage

in conversation with them you cannot get scammed.

regards Worgeordie

it does not matter what u say if you do not hand over money or get pick pocketed or robbed then u won;t be scasmmed. They can talk to me al they want. I have been here many years and i don't have 1 suit. i have given nothing to charity and not yet been robbed.

nearly got stiched up on a jet ski scam but i just waled away.

not run walked as they werre wrong and they knew it.

oh yes and i have been shot and stabbed and spend time in jail all in the aid of FREEDOME!!!!