An attempted Scam Failed[Scam Survivors]Share Your Story

[Mangosteen1]

In this topic we can all share our experience in attempted scams and our encounters with con-men in Thailand. how we managed to handle and get out of that situation.

Can be everything from minor street scams, taxi, tickets, hotels to gigantic scams: gem stones, real estates, trouble with policemen. you name it.

the important thing is this topic is how you got in and managed to get out of that situation

[Mangosteen1]

OK I will tell a very simple story how I saved another guy from getting beaten up by taxi drivers: he was surrounded by 10 taxi drivers and wasn't allowed to leave. they were really going to beat him up. he didn't have enough cash that day, intoxicated and stupid enough to enter the taxi without enough cash, so in the end he couldn't pay the taxi trip. I didn't know the guy but I had seen him once before. I asked the drivers how much money is missing. they said 130 baht. I payed the 130 baht and he was out of trouble that day. The guys I was with knew him much better than me but they still didn't want to save him from that situation. we later became friends

[bocceball1]

OK I will tell a very simple story how I saved another guy from getting beaten up by taxi drivers: he was surrounded by 10 taxi drivers and wasn't allowed to leave. they were really going to beat him up. he didn't have enough cash that day, intoxicated and stupid enough to enter the taxi without enough cash, so in the end he couldn't pay the taxi trip. I didn't know the guy but I had seen him once before. I asked the drivers how much money is missing. they said 130 baht. I payed the 130 baht and he was out of trouble that day. The guys I was with knew him much better than me but they still didn't want to save him from that situation. we later became friends

Soooooo...the reality was this wasn't really a SCAM!....Just another drunk idiot who got himself in a jam....Kudos to you for getting him out of it ....but from what you told us I can see why the guy who knew him better didn't get involved.

[Swiss1960]

OP: do you get paid for opening secondary posts for threads you have seen on ThaiVisa?

Edited October 15, 2013 by Swiss1960

[euroflash]

Does OP have any other examples of foreigners scamming Thais?

[Suradit69]

[jacko45k]

Does OP have any other examples of foreigners scamming Thais?

I told a girl the cheque was in the post.....

Oh no, sorry, she gagged on another common lie.

[Monkeyrobot]

Boring thread

[BlackJack]

what about the land scams whereas foreigners prey on other foreigners - sell plots that will never be developed

or the gold scams where foreigners invest in high interest paying scams and get paid for a few months and never see their capital or interest ever again

if you want to see real scams check out Andrew Drummonds web site

[flyingdoc]

Unfortunately Thailand is no exception for con men. Some of the worst emanate out of Nigeria, where their own Embassy warn of their own nationa'ls activities. In some cases, fraud is actually taught in some unscrupulous Colleges, where typical formats are handed out, with details of genuine accidents, whether an air crash or road accident. The facts can be checked on in past newspapers or T.V coverage, but just the names are changed. The dead 'relatives' supposedly left large sums of untouched money in a bank account in Nigeria or a neighbouring country, which can only be accessed by their taking on a foreign partner, who will allegedly receive a generous percentage of the millions of dollars at stake. Invariably there are lawyers and transfer fees to pay up front, before the surviving 'relative' disappears into the sunset !

[thaidel48]

Had more falangs than Thai's try scamming me. BTW as a rule Thai con artist's are much easier to spot unless you have the IQ of an ant or are very very greedy.

The truth " If it sounds to be to good to be true.. ect" then it is!

[bocceball1]

An insurance SCAM in America went like this...

The scammer driving a car on the freeway would take an exit, stop and then put the car in reverse so the car behind him would "rear-end" him.....The scammer would then sue claiming he did nothing wrong (said he was just driving along) and the other car just wasn't paying attention and ran into him......worked for awhile ....idiot kept doing it though and the police saw the pattern.....

[toybits]

This happened recently (a few days ago) in Chiang Rai. A person (probably not the real person but someone pretending to be that person) said he worked on an oil rig off the gulf. Said he was getting married and needed 10 rooms for a total of 10 days. We sent him a quotation for that and sent it to him. He said we were to make several charges on his credit card (info was supplied) but then the case became rather curious. He wanted to be billed for other expenses he was going to incur - such as logistics and travel expenses for the persons that will be occupying the 10 rooms. We were going to deduct our fee but then hand over the money to a representative of his. This sounded alarm bells. We said that we could not further process his request and that hotel bookings could be done by an online booking agent. Communication with this person immediately ceased.

[bartender100]

This happened recently (a few days ago) in Chiang Rai. A person (probably not the real person but someone pretending to be that person) said he worked on an oil rig off the gulf. Said he was getting married and needed 10 rooms for a total of 10 days. We sent him a quotation for that and sent it to him. He said we were to make several charges on his credit card (info was supplied) but then the case became rather curious. He wanted to be billed for other expenses he was going to incur - such as logistics and travel expenses for the persons that will be occupying the 10 rooms. We were going to deduct our fee but then hand over the money to a representative of his. This sounded alarm bells. We said that we could not further process his request and that hotel bookings could be done by an online booking agent. Communication with this person immediately ceased.

This is a common scam all over the world in the hotel business for many years, every hotelier should know this one by now, are you new to the business?

[intrepidphil]

So I bought myself a nice shiny new fuel can. It's a posh European made thing with measuring marks on the side. First time I went to fill it, I spotted that the litreage on the receipt did't match the marks on the can. Hmm that's strange! So I asked the staff how this could be. Odly she seemed to have expected this question. So she poured the fuel back and refilled the can before my eyes and there again was the missing difference. So either my top quality western fuel can has been designed badly or the Thai petrol stations recalibrate their pumps.

[Travel2003]

Unfortunately Thailand is no exception for con men. Some of the worst emanate out of Nigeria, where their own Embassy warn of their own nationa'ls activities. In some cases, fraud is actually taught in some unscrupulous Colleges, where typical formats are handed out, with details of genuine accidents, whether an air crash or road accident. The facts can be checked on in past newspapers or T.V coverage, but just the names are changed. The dead 'relatives' supposedly left large sums of untouched money in a bank account in Nigeria or a neighbouring country, which can only be accessed by their taking on a foreign partner, who will allegedly receive a generous percentage of the millions of dollars at stake. Invariably there are lawyers and transfer fees to pay up front, before the surviving 'relative' disappears into the sunset !

Unfair of you to talk bad about the Nigerian Princes here in Thailand.

I know one very nice Nigerian Prince (from e-mail) and he even promised me a lot of money if I only sent him only a little bit.

One Nigerian who borrowed my passport, even gave it back again to me after 2 weeks.

[Boss]

We have had 2 identical attempts in my hotel. It was about quite big amounts. We rejected.

I'm too honest or maybe too naïve to see the scam. Can somebody please explain....

[Cuban]

When in business I had a series of emails seeking to lay the foundations of a high value transaction connected with a major event in Pattaya - it was the "sell" for an advance fee fraud although they had gone to some effort in back-story, it wasn't a simple scam, their keenness in doing business was over and above what was right.

Even after providing a quotation way over the odds they wanted to proceed - I just ignored emails and rejected the phone calls.

Just say no.

If you test the angles you don't get scammed.

[Benmart]

OK I will tell a very simple story how I saved another guy from getting beaten up by taxi drivers: he was surrounded by 10 taxi drivers and wasn't allowed to leave. they were really going to beat him up. he didn't have enough cash that day, intoxicated and stupid enough to enter the taxi without enough cash, so in the end he couldn't pay the taxi trip. I didn't know the guy but I had seen him once before. I asked the drivers how much money is missing. they said 130 baht. I payed the 130 baht and he was out of trouble that day. The guys I was with knew him much better than me but they still didn't want to save him from that situation. we later became friends

Great story and thanks for helping a fellow human being.

[Benmart]

This happened recently (a few days ago) in Chiang Rai. A person (probably not the real person but someone pretending to be that person) said he worked on an oil rig off the gulf. Said he was getting married and needed 10 rooms for a total of 10 days. We sent him a quotation for that and sent it to him. He said we were to make several charges on his credit card (info was supplied) but then the case became rather curious. He wanted to be billed for other expenses he was going to incur - such as logistics and travel expenses for the persons that will be occupying the 10 rooms. We were going to deduct our fee but then hand over the money to a representative of his. This sounded alarm bells. We said that we could not further process his request and that hotel bookings could be done by an online booking agent. Communication with this person immediately ceased.

Good for you. It sounded shady by these rather odd request of supplemental billings, i.e. logistics, travel, etc.

[Cuban]

We have had 2 identical attempts in my hotel. It was about quite big amounts. We rejected.

I'm too honest or maybe too naïve to see the scam. Can somebody please explain....

I phone/email your hotel and book 10 rooms, I give a CC number for security. The story about a wedding, big promotion in business or trade fair etc builds my status in your mind.

That is the bait.

Next I want to make arrangements for some local design work or drivers or flowers etc but need it to be accounted for on on that credit card as the local drivers can't process CC transactions. Please would you take a cash advance from the CC on account and give the money to K Somchai who will be along in five minutes.

You draw the money from the CC details you have been given by email/phone etc and give to Somchai, he gives you a receipt and leaves then the CC company contacts you about a fraudulent transaction as the CC details are stolen.

This is why hotels etc will seek to have a transaction go through on a CC to test it's validity before trusting a new client in such a situation.

The other angle is to use a CC - then seek to change that to a paper check - then again seek a cash advance based in a small local need that will be covered by the greater value check and a generous TIP for your help.

The hook is often some conspirational element or intrigue about getting a kick-back in the overall process at the end of the deal - that personal greed keeps the naive inside-man committed to the deal through the life of the scam.

All the Nigerian email scams use that lure to get something for nothing, the big payout that never happens.

Just like push-up bras !

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Anyway enough of that toss, I have a bag of gold dust collected from the banks of the islands in The Mekong River that was landed on the Thai side by accident, it should have gone to the Laos Government but there was a mix-up.

If I could get you to take this gold and get it transferred to cash I would be prepared to give you a 15% agents fee, I can't do this myself because if the locals know I had gold they would kill me, so if you send me a 2,000 Baht for secure postage via EMS Courrier I'll get the bag to you by tomorrow, it's about 3/4 of a kilo in weight it must be worth about 50,000 Baht.

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Nice and easy scam and easy to see through?

You might have missed the lure and hook, if the bag weighed 750 g it's value is nearer 100,000 Baht.

So the idea is that an element of personal greed to make your 7,500 Baht (15% fee) plus a crafty 50,000 on the side for yourself is worth just a 2,000 Baht outlay.

The other element of these scams is to get a mark to take a small nibble of the bite for a small outlay - say just 500 Baht for the EMS. You pay that and you are engaged emotionally in the transaction. Next comes the email/call that the package is now heavier than they thought or there is a fee or tax to pay for something and they need another 2,000 Baht etc.....

[Cuban]

Does OP have any other examples of foreigners scamming Thais?

I recall one either from here or told to me my a friend a few years ago, really quite good.

He was a frequent visitor to Pattaya mostly for the nocturnal enjoyment of music venues where he might have a beer and engage in conversation with the bar staff or people milling about on the streets etc.

On some occasions he would end up back in a hotel room with his deep meaningful overnight relationship encounter and they would do the normal things one does in these situations: Smooch, undress, shower together and then just before getting into bed he would carefully and with reverence take off his gold chain with some non-Buddha amulet also golden and carefully place it on the bedside table.

Sometimes he would wake in the morning pay his companion generously for her taxi home at whatever is the going rate for such services.....

....but on other occasions he would wake (or having had to feign sleep during the night) to find that by some strange and unexplainable co-incidence that the gold chain and young lady has disappeared overnight.

This wasn't really such a tragic loss for him as he had dozens of the chains & amulets and bought replacements at about 200-300 Baht a time, they just needed the right weight and look in a bar enviroment.

Just like the push-up bra the scam is sold under poor lighting maybe with a little question about street safety or not wanting to go on to a club because of the risk of theft. The lure has sewn itself in the mind of someone seeking their personal gain in a transaction that is not what it appears to be.

[Boss]

Thanks Cuban !

[DGIE]

I got so many scam emails. How I managed not to be scammed is that, I deleted them immediately.

Also with telephone call. I told the caller that I know what the <deleted> he is doing...

[mikebell]

My first Honda Jazz had a see-through windscreen. Thai police could see me coming a mile off. I was stopped regularly; forced to hand over my licence then had to haggle to get it back. Then I had a brainwave; I put the licence in my wallet and sealed it behind a transparent cover. When asked, I turned over the whole thing. BIB was in a quandary; he was too dumb to work out how to abstract the licence; he couldn't keep my wallet. After some discussion he was forced to let me go despite me driving whilst in possession of a white face. I've never paid since.

My present Jazz has blacked out glass so they don't even stop me now.

[ableguy]

Does OP have any other examples of foreigners scamming Thais?

I recall one either from here or told to me my a friend a few years ago, really quite good.

He was a frequent visitor to Pattaya mostly for the nocturnal enjoyment of music venues where he might have a beer and engage in conversation with the bar staff or people milling about on the streets etc.

On some occasions he would end up back in a hotel room with his deep meaningful overnight relationship encounter and they would do the normal things one does in these situations: Smooch, undress, shower together and then just before getting into bed he would carefully and with reverence take off his gold chain with some non-Buddha amulet also golden and carefully place it on the bedside table.

Sometimes he would wake in the morning pay his companion generously for her taxi home at whatever is the going rate for such services.....

....but on other occasions he would wake (or having had to feign sleep during the night) to find that by some strange and unexplainable co-incidence that the gold chain and young lady has disappeared overnight.

This wasn't really such a tragic loss for him as he had dozens of the chains & amulets and bought replacements at about 200-300 Baht a time, they just needed the right weight and look in a bar enviroment.

Just like the push-up bra the scam is sold under poor lighting maybe with a little question about street safety or not wanting to go on to a club because of the risk of theft. The lure has sewn itself in the mind of someone seeking their personal gain in a transaction that is not what it appears to be.

Good idea for a cheap shag or two.

[DoctorB]

Some years back while walking on Sukhumvit road I was bumped into by a young Chinese looking Thai with very good English. He apologised, took me for a coffee nearby and explained that his younger brother was studying to be a doctor and wanted to attend a conference in London. Their mother was very worried about this and would I go to the house to reassure her that London was safe? Smelling a rat I thanked him for the coffee and legged it. About 2 hours later I was queuing at and ATM and a lady who said she was from the Philippines told me that her younger sister was studying to be a dentist and had to go to a conference in London. Her mother was very worried about this and could I go round to the house and reassure her? Again I made my excuses, but I am still intrigued to know precisely what the scam was; maybe a drugged drink followed by a card game?

[ktm jeff]

Wondered where the GF kept getting those cheap "gold" chains from !!!!!!!!!!!!

[ukrules]

Some years back while walking on Sukhumvit road I was bumped into by a young Chinese looking Thai with very good English. He apologised, took me for a coffee nearby and explained that his younger brother was studying to be a doctor and wanted to attend a conference in London. Their mother was very worried about this and would I go to the house to reassure her that London was safe? Smelling a rat I thanked him for the coffee and legged it. About 2 hours later I was queuing at and ATM and a lady who said she was from the Philippines told me that her younger sister was studying to be a dentist and had to go to a conference in London. Her mother was very worried about this and could I go round to the house and reassure her? Again I made my excuses, but I am still intrigued to know precisely what the scam was; maybe a drugged drink followed by a card game?

Avoid any strangers who approach you and try to get involved in your business or disrupt / divert whatever you happen to be doing at the time without a very good reason.

[Mangosteen1]

OP: do you get paid for opening secondary posts for threads you have seen on ThaiVisa?

Haha no.. I just think THAIVISA is a good place for us to share info and help on another. the other similar thread was of latest scams etc.

This thread is only about scams and how you managed to get out out of it.