I've Been Scammed

[ggt]

• Was scammed by Filipino...had copy of passport, visa, airline ticket...the whole nine yards...all fake...

Lost a lot more than you did...costly lesson...it happens all to frequently...internet easy pickings for scammers...

Good Luck...buy a condo...not a house in Thai name...you can loose a lot more than 6,000 baht...

[lostmebike]

What a bummer. Have to call the internet cops!

The net cops are right here, on the very Thai Visa Forum! Many a detective here my friend.

[Gsxrnz]

All the blokes I know that claim to have been scammed in Thailand, (big scams and little scams), seem to have provided their own Vaseline as they dropped their pants and bent over. The OP is no exception. Wake up and smell the coffee.

[shaurene]

It has happened to a lot of us in different ways. They could will an Oscar no problem. It is very hard to find a good one, try and find one that works in a store and get friendly with her and take it day to day, forget these dating sites very hard to find nice lady, but if there is a next time you take the time and go and see the person.

[Docno]

Don't feel so bad. A good American friend of mine recently got scammed for the equivalent of US$240,000 (!) by a Singapore woman he knows. She convinced him to start a business together and said they would need this sum for startup costs (to buy inventory, etc.). For about a year she would show him the 'books' and how much money they were raking in and he would brag about it to me (telling me I should start investing my money yada yada yada). Then one day he figured it was about time he got some of his seed money back, but when he mentioned this to her, she started making excuses not to see him. He became nervous and decided to go to the bank to pull the money out himself. When he got there, he was informed that the account had been near empty for months... records showed that she had pulled the money out a day or two after he had initially deposited it. The case is now with the police. She has told them that the money is all gone... supposedly spent on gambling and the high life. My friend is 69 and still gainfully employed in a well-paying job, but even then, it's not the kind of amount you can recoup quickly.

Lessons:

1. People can scam you even without the internet

2. This doesn't happen just in Thailand

3. Even 'simple' people can come up with highly elaborate and convincing schemes

Just be happy that the 'damage' in your case was so slight...

[sms747]

There's always somebody worse off, of course nobody else on here has, or would ever fall for a scam, they are all far too clever and were born knowing everything!

This lady was done out of 1.5 million baht, or 30k UK

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2486664/Im-ashamed-I-tricked-loved-ones-30-000-falling-lonely-hearts-conman-Ghana-downloaded-photo-uninvolved-U-S-General-deceive-me.html

Edited November 4, 2013 by sms747

[risky11]

I mean like, I'm 26 right and even I can easely see through these scams going on and on.. I am far from perfect but I keep questioning myself that what on earth have all these adults been doing all their life??? how can people so easely be fooled on later age?

on the other side maybe i've just been lucky and it's of course always after...

(no offence intended just wondering)

You are still very young. Just wait... your turn will come.

[cbluck58]

Lucky you didn't get hit up for more than a paltry 5800 THB - you need your brain tested.....

[Showbags]

Lucky you didn't get hit up for more than a paltry 5800 THB - you need your brain tested.....

Yeah, she could have told him she was pregnant and to send money for doctor etc...wonder if he would have?

[Gsxrnz]

Don't feel so bad. A good American friend of mine recently got scammed for the equivalent of US$240,000 (!) by a Singapore woman he knows. She convinced him to start a business together and said they would need this sum for startup costs (to buy inventory, etc.). For about a year she would show him the 'books' and how much money they were raking in and he would brag about it to me (telling me I should start investing my money yada yada yada). Then one day he figured it was about time he got some of his seed money back, but when he mentioned this to her, she started making excuses not to see him. He became nervous and decided to go to the bank to pull the money out himself. When he got there, he was informed that the account had been near empty for months... records showed that she had pulled the money out a day or two after he had initially deposited it. The case is now with the police. She has told them that the money is all gone... supposedly spent on gambling and the high life. My friend is 69 and still gainfully employed in a well-paying job, but even then, it's not the kind of amount you can recoup quickly.

Lessons:

1. People can scam you even without the internet

2. This doesn't happen just in Thailand

3. Even 'simple' people can come up with highly elaborate and convincing schemes

Just be happy that the 'damage' in your case was so slight...

But your friend will no doubt have genuine legal agreements, genuine company registration documents, loan agreements, partnership agreements etc. He will have visited the business regularly or had an agent visit the business, sighted the stock, checked the bank account online daily to ensure the paperwork agreed with the facts, seen a budget that looked believable etc.

If he did all this, the business actually existed and traded, but she defrauded the jointly owned business then your friend has a fair gripe.

Or did he allow himself to be sucked in with the promise of huge returns, the business was totally fake and never even existed - if so, shame on him.

It's surprising the woman didn't give him a $30k payout, wait a month and then suggest he increase his returns by investing a further $240k.

If it looks to good to be true, it usually is.

[crocken]

yes its easy to get fooled by these lovely thai ladies.....i have done the same as you......

[macca3248]

Don't worry mate,most of us have been there and done that !!!!!

[klauskunkel]

How do you know this was a Thai female? Maybe it was a 50 year old farang playing you...now here is a thought to make pocket money...

[lostmebike]

Regardless of what some 'experts' are saying, we all get scammed everyday here. Whether it is an extra 5 or 10 baht on our meals or paying B** C's high prices.

Not sure I would ever pass money over the internet to a complete stranger though.

[lostmebike]

^{This probably won't make you feel any better but I have met Thai women who have been scammed by internet romeos. I}

Yes. There are a lot of Nigerians claiming to be white guys looking for love on some Thai dating sites. My ex's elder sister nearly sent 15k Baht to an Englishman based in ... Nigeria.

[lemoncake]

No, I am not writing a book, I am telling you guys the truth and not prepared to get drawn into responses with the negative a**holes on this forum

I've been hurt, but I thank the good guys here who understand and are giving advice not only to me but others who may be reading this with a past, present or future situation the same, thank you.

Mate, how can you be hurt and what are you hurt about?

I can see the money pain, but that's about all the pain I can see.

You fall in love with someone you do not know or meet?

Suck it up and come back to reality.

Genuine, normal girls do not fall in love over Internet without even meeting and certainly do not ask for money to come meet you

[meatboy]

No, I am not writing a book, I am telling you guys the truth and not prepared to get drawn into responses with the negative a**holes on this forum

I've been hurt, but I thank the good guys here who understand and are giving advice not only to me but others who may be reading this with a past, present or future situation the same, thank you.

5,800bht.and youve been hurt.you had better get on that bus,train and then the plane and dont come back.

and no you are not an idiot you must have brains to be one of them.

[Showbags]

No, I am not writing a book, I am telling you guys the truth and not prepared to get drawn into responses with the negative a**holes on this forum

I've been hurt, but I thank the good guys here who understand and are giving advice not only to me but others who may be reading this with a past, present or future situation the same, thank you.

Come on Phil...how did she hurt you, was she that good in bed?...oh wait, you never got that far.

How old are you Phil by the way, sorry if mentioned elsewhere but did not see, that girl looks like an extreme airhead, what did you see in her besides the large hootas that she was squeezing together to make look bigger and her stupid look in 98% of the photos?

I presume you are a mature male, so act it and stop sooking about being hurt for Christs sake....thats just sad.

[chrisinth]

Thank you A1, you make total sense, easy to think afterwards of the obvious but I thought her photos a little too good to be true, very delicate bone structure, small and very pretty. I guess you are all going to laugh at this but when I spoke to her on the phone her slightle deep voice didn't seem to match the photos, another thing that surprised me was her 100% perfect English, do many girls from Changrai have that? There were other pointers that I missed at the time but seem so obvious now.

Philip, I wouldn't even bother chasing the money you have lost, as many others have said, you got off lightly.............

But it also highlights another problem (for me anyway) about anonymous online relationships through these dating sites. I know it is not always the case, and the sites have worked for many, but I would always have it in the back of my mind that my new true love was not exactly what was written on the box...............

When you consider the above could be the person you were communicating with, (without video proof??) that for me would lead to many sleepless nights. 5,800 baht is a bargain if that were the case..................

[Showbags]

Thank you A1, you make total sense, easy to think afterwards of the obvious but I thought her photos a little too good to be true, very delicate bone structure, small and very pretty. I guess you are all going to laugh at this but when I spoke to her on the phone her slightle deep voice didn't seem to match the photos, another thing that surprised me was her 100% perfect English, do many girls from Changrai have that? There were other pointers that I missed at the time but seem so obvious now.

Philip, I wouldn't even bother chasing the money you have lost, as many others have said, you got off lightly.............

But it also highlights another problem (for me anyway) about anonymous online relationships through these dating sites. I know it is not always the case, and the sites have worked for many, but I would always have it in the back of my mind that my new true love was not exactly what was written on the box...............

online relations.jpg

When you consider the above could be the person you were communicating with, (without video proof??) that for me would lead to many sleepless nights. 5,800 baht is a bargain if that were the case..................

Yeah, imagine if that rocked up at the airport and wanting a kiss.

[Mrjlh]

Maybe it was already said...why didn't he "go" to her? Then if the woman is worth all that trouble then he is right there to take her back. And along the way he gets to see new territory.

[realenglish1]

I have a policy for myself. Never send money to anyone I have met on the internet that I have not met in person I too go to the dating sites and have gotten luck several times with ladies but there are scammers everywhere.

Just yesterday I met what I thought was a nice girl and within 5 minutes of the conversation she asked me for rent money I told her to F Off

This girl I am sure has been doing this a lot and is not smart She has to be using her bank account or friend and can be traced real easy Although this does not amount to the crime of the century she is a bad girl

File a report with the police and make her life miserable She is counting on the fact that it is a little amount and you probably won't bother with the police Do it and put her where she belongs

and of course once she is caught she will be remorseful as all are when they are caught. More important than money to Thais is loosing face. Do it to here

Good Luck I know how you feel

[kennypowers]

If your aren't trolling I wouldn't feel too bad. You aren't the first man to be duped by a woman in one way or another and you won't be the last. But, you said this is your first post, yet it says "19 posts" under your avatar?

[lostmebike]

Thank you A1, you make total sense, easy to think afterwards of the obvious but I thought her photos a little too good to be true, very delicate bone structure, small and very pretty. I guess you are all going to laugh at this but when I spoke to her on the phone her slightle deep voice didn't seem to match the photos, another thing that surprised me was her 100% perfect English, do many girls from Changrai have that? There were other pointers that I missed at the time but seem so obvious now.

Philip, I wouldn't even bother chasing the money you have lost, as many others have said, you got off lightly.............

But it also highlights another problem (for me anyway) about anonymous online relationships through these dating sites. I know it is not always the case, and the sites have worked for many, but I would always have it in the back of my mind that my new true love was not exactly what was written on the box...............

online relations.jpg

When you consider the above could be the person you were communicating with, (without video proof??) that for me would lead to many sleepless nights. 5,800 baht is a bargain if that were the case..................

Yeah, imagine if that rocked up at the airport and wanting a kiss.

Or even holding the key to a hotel room in his hand, 'Honey, I booked a room for us'

[Docno]

Don't feel so bad. A good American friend of mine recently got scammed for the equivalent of US$240,000 (!) by a Singapore woman he knows. She convinced him to start a business together and said they would need this sum for startup costs (to buy inventory, etc.). For about a year she would show him the 'books' and how much money they were raking in and he would brag about it to me (telling me I should start investing my money yada yada yada). Then one day he figured it was about time he got some of his seed money back, but when he mentioned this to her, she started making excuses not to see him. He became nervous and decided to go to the bank to pull the money out himself. When he got there, he was informed that the account had been near empty for months... records showed that she had pulled the money out a day or two after he had initially deposited it. The case is now with the police. She has told them that the money is all gone... supposedly spent on gambling and the high life. My friend is 69 and still gainfully employed in a well-paying job, but even then, it's not the kind of amount you can recoup quickly.

Lessons:

1. People can scam you even without the internet

2. This doesn't happen just in Thailand

3. Even 'simple' people can come up with highly elaborate and convincing schemes

Just be happy that the 'damage' in your case was so slight...

But your friend will no doubt have genuine legal agreements, genuine company registration documents, loan agreements, partnership agreements etc. He will have visited the business regularly or had an agent visit the business, sighted the stock, checked the bank account online daily to ensure the paperwork agreed with the facts, seen a budget that looked believable etc.

If he did all this, the business actually existed and traded, but she defrauded the jointly owned business then your friend has a fair gripe.

Or did he allow himself to be sucked in with the promise of huge returns, the business was totally fake and never even existed - if so, shame on him.

It's surprising the woman didn't give him a $30k payout, wait a month and then suggest he increase his returns by investing a further $240k.

If it looks to good to be true, it usually is.

He wishes he had all that. The business basically required her to go to China (from Singapore) regularly to get corporate brand printing done on items (the 'branded' mugs and pens and bags you receive at conferences or training sessions). I doubt she even made those trips. The money was needed to buy the items, fund the 'trips', pay the printers up front etc etc. All the stock, he was told, was up in China. The business was formally registered. But otherwise, he acted on trust and everything was done informally ... his job keeps him too busy to stay on top of the minutiae, so he said. She was also a 'friend' who he'd known for a couple of years.

So yeah, the business was fake but she put up a convincing front by playing on his trust and the natural human desire for easy money.

One thing I didn't mention: he has a PhD and is well-known in his field. Intelligence is no protection from some of this stuff: intelligence <> wisdom

[paz]

If your aren't trolling I wouldn't feel too bad. You aren't the first man to be duped by a woman in one way or another and you won't be the last. But, you said this is your first post, yet it says "19 posts" under your avatar?

Try thinking, how it could possibly be? An exercise for the mind really!

[bkkgriz]

There is an 18 year ex-military policeman who might help you out. It seems he takes offence to all sorts of scammers. Send him a PM, I think he can help.

[Straight8]

Anyway boyo, it is good you posted here coz many boys out there can learn more about this together with interesting tips from members here.

many boys?? seriously, if anyone by now has not learnt an incident like this is a pure scam, I'm afraid these boys are beyond help!! They will forever be sheered like sheep.

[BookMan]

The woman in question must be a novice to the scam trade...the next few days will tell.

If she calls you and announces her bus to Phuket was in a accident and she needs you to send her 20,000 baht for hospital fees and the like...

[BookMan]

Don't worry mate,most of us have been there and done that !!!!!

Yes, but disappointingly not enough people share here on ThaiVisa