Approached by two guys outside Sorya Shopping Centre...

[phuketrichard]

why would anyone befriend someone that they have never known when they are approached in a public area in Asia and it concerns a deal that " cant be beat"???

[rixalex]

Just one of many scams. I've done a lot of research on various scams in SE Asia on the internet and know all about the Card Game scam.

Another popular one is a well-dressed man will approach you and say he knows you from the hotel you are staying at and will hope you will say "Oh, you mean the so and so Appartelle?"

He'll say "Yeah, that's where I'm staying too!" and will try to lure you into a scam. This is known as the Interview process. See below for more info.

There is a great app on the Google Play Store called "Scam Detector" and is a compilation of nearly every scam known to mankind.

(Edit: It is also available on iTunes for Apple devices.)

It has different categories and one is "Travel Scams" which has numerous sub-categories.

IDK if it's free or not, but if it is a paid app, it is very inexpensive, like .99 cents and has every scam imaginable and also makes for hours of entertaining reading.

It's also interesting how different countries and regions have different scams as well.

I highly recommend this app as it could easily pay for itself a million times over, even though I believe it is a free app.

I cannot recommend this app highly enough.

Some of these scams are ingenious, such as the "Cell Phone scam" where someone slips an inexpensive cell phone in your pocket without your knowledge.

Shortly after, the phone rings and you notice that it's a phone ringing in your pocket. You reach in your pocket, surprised to find a cell phone when suddenly, a person (with several witnesses, of course) starts yelling "you stole my phone!"

And the local police that quickly show up to see what all the commotion is about are likely in on it as well.

You either end up paying a "fine" on the spot, or going to a Thai (or some other country) jail.

As much research as I have done on the internet, this little app has scams I've never heard of despite doing a ton of research.

While this app doesn't cover some scams I've read about on the internet, it has many that are not, so again, it's well worth the free or inexpensive download.

It also covers "Auto Scams" "Face to Face Scams" "Internet Scams" "Telephone Scams" and the above mentioned "Travel Scams"

And it has scams for just about every country where a tourist might go, not just SE Asia and many of the scams not in the Travel category are geared to those in the US

Also read about "The 5 stages of an assault" or 5 stages of violent crime" (Google search) as many of the principles apply to scams, such as selecting the victim, the "interview" process, etc...

Not sure if URL's are allowed, but here is an example: http://www.slideshare.net/JoshWaltzing/five-stages-of-violent-crime

This can save you from being assaulted at home or abroad, but the principles can also apply to recognizing scams as well.

The app sounds like a scam in itself.

[Hardened Spanker]

There's a famous one in Shanghai as well, a pretty young Chinese girl approaches you on the street and invites you to a cafe to practice her English, you enjoy a nice tea, and then they give you a bill for a ridiculous amount, like 50,000 Baht, for a tea for two. The authorities have cracked down on it but I still saw warning posts about it in guesthouses in Shanghai.

Then there's the girls that seduce foreign men and entice them to bring them to a hotel. The "hotel" is actually a front owned by criminal groups who sneak in and steal wallets, etc., out of the victim's clothing.

Perhaps the posters who complain about 100 baht charges at the immigration office, or not being given 50 baht in change from a vegetable vendor, should consider it as a lesson for how to avoid much bigger scams!

Had it myself a couple of times in Shanghai.Nanjing Walking Street is the worst for it,full of girl hustlers looking for a white face to con!

They take you to a bar,call their friend then start drinking everything they can and then you get a bill for USD $100 or more.I just said no way am I paying that,gave them 20-30 bucks and walked away!

[PHP87]

Just one of many scams. I've done a lot of research on various scams in SE Asia on the internet and know all about the Card Game scam.

Another popular one is a well-dressed man will approach you and say he knows you from the hotel you are staying at and will hope you will say "Oh, you mean the so and so Appartelle?"

He'll say "Yeah, that's where I'm staying too!" and will try to lure you into a scam. This is known as the Interview process. See below for more info.

There is a great app on the Google Play Store called "Scam Detector" and is a compilation of nearly every scam known to mankind.

(Edit: It is also available on iTunes for Apple devices.)

It has different categories and one is "Travel Scams" which has numerous sub-categories.

IDK if it's free or not, but if it is a paid app, it is very inexpensive, like .99 cents and has every scam imaginable and also makes for hours of entertaining reading.

It's also interesting how different countries and regions have different scams as well.

I highly recommend this app as it could easily pay for itself a million times over, even though I believe it is a free app.

I cannot recommend this app highly enough.

Some of these scams are ingenious, such as the "Cell Phone scam" where someone slips an inexpensive cell phone in your pocket without your knowledge.

Shortly after, the phone rings and you notice that it's a phone ringing in your pocket. You reach in your pocket, surprised to find a cell phone when suddenly, a person (with several witnesses, of course) starts yelling "you stole my phone!"

And the local police that quickly show up to see what all the commotion is about are likely in on it as well.

You either end up paying a "fine" on the spot, or going to a Thai (or some other country) jail.

As much research as I have done on the internet, this little app has scams I've never heard of despite doing a ton of research.

While this app doesn't cover some scams I've read about on the internet, it has many that are not, so again, it's well worth the free or inexpensive download.

It also covers "Auto Scams" "Face to Face Scams" "Internet Scams" "Telephone Scams" and the above mentioned "Travel Scams"

And it has scams for just about every country where a tourist might go, not just SE Asia and many of the scams not in the Travel category are geared to those in the US

Also read about "The 5 stages of an assault" or 5 stages of violent crime" (Google search) as many of the principles apply to scams, such as selecting the victim, the "interview" process, etc...

Not sure if URL's are allowed, but here is an example: http://www.slideshare.net/JoshWaltzing/five-stages-of-violent-crime

This can save you from being assaulted at home or abroad, but the principles can also apply to recognizing scams as well.

The app sounds like a scam in itself.

IDK why you would say that. It has a ton of valuable info whether you are in another country or in the US and covers over 500 scams.

It's either free or maybe costs .99 cents and can be worth far more if just one tip saves you from being scammed.

Since you've never viewed it, how can you say it sounds like a scam?

And since it is free, at least for iPhone users, what's the scam?

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scam-detector/id440988829

Edited December 13, 2013 by PHP87

[HeavyDrinker]

There's a famous one in Shanghai as well, a pretty young Chinese girl approaches you on the street and invites you to a cafe to practice her English, you enjoy a nice tea, and then they give you a bill for a ridiculous amount, like 50,000 Baht, for a tea for two. The authorities have cracked down on it but I still saw warning posts about it in guesthouses in Shanghai.

Then there's the girls that seduce foreign men and entice them to bring them to a hotel. The "hotel" is actually a front owned by criminal groups who sneak in and steal wallets, etc., out of the victim's clothing.

Perhaps the posters who complain about 100 baht charges at the immigration office, or not being given 50 baht in change from a vegetable vendor, should consider it as a lesson for how to avoid much bigger scams!

Had it myself a couple of times in Shanghai.Nanjing Walking Street is the worst for it,full of girl hustlers looking for a white face to con!

They take you to a bar,call their friend then start drinking everything they can and then you get a bill for USD $100 or more.I just said no way am I paying that,gave them 20-30 bucks and walked away!

This one happens in every country in the world but especially in Thailand. it plays on a man's weakest spots - his pride and horniness.

You used to see it almost every night in Nana disco (or similar places).

The mark was always easy to spot. He'd be the one with birds absolutely swarming around his table filling their boots,like desert wanderers at an oasis, he'd be looking as pleased as Punch, looking down his nose at all the 'mugs' who'd taken bar girls there while he was with 'real' women he'd met at MBK (or similar)...only for his smugness to rapidly evaporate towards closing time when his 'friends' had vanished into the ether leaving him with a steep bill (they never drank cokes or sprite) and sat alone...

it used to be a great source of hilarity watching the marks frantically looking for their supposed "bunk-ups" up and down Soi 4 and along Sukhumwit around chucking out time, then seeing them down Soi 13 looking for a late night straggler not looking quite so smug anymore....

There used to be a oft told tale back in the 80s and early 90s (which although plausible, I suspect is expat apocrypha) about a well known Soi 4 'character' who went along with the card scam several times but made a sly exit from the house at the end of his 'winning streak' with his pockets full of their money (the amount always varied from 50K THB through to several hundred thousand Baht, depending on who was telling the tale).Knowing the 'character" in question (as I'm sure a few members here also knew him, it wouldn't surprise me as he was an out and out rogue and scoundrel.

[MrWorldwide]

i rarely go to Cowboy any more, but I quickly learnt to check my bill with each drink - as soon as they see you doing that, they know you arent a mug ripe for a bill padding opus. On the plus side, English-speaking students in China have been very helpful when I've lost my bearings - they arent all rogues.

[Ghostnigel]

There's a famous one in Shanghai as well, a pretty young Chinese girl approaches you on the street and invites you to a cafe to practice her English, you enjoy a nice tea, and then they give you a bill for a ridiculous amount, like 50,000 Baht, for a tea for two. The authorities have cracked down on it but I still saw warning posts about it in guesthouses in Shanghai.

Then there's the girls that seduce foreign men and entice them to bring them to a hotel. The "hotel" is actually a front owned by criminal groups who sneak in and steal wallets, etc., out of the victim's clothing.

Perhaps the posters who complain about 100 baht charges at the immigration office, or not being given 50 baht in change from a vegetable vendor, should consider it as a lesson for how to avoid much bigger scams!

Yeah, I read about the "Tea" scam with the "Scam Detector" app on my Android Phone.

I don't remember if it's a free app or a very inexpensive one, but it's available for iPhones as well.

Interesting reading and covers over 500 various scams.

You mention about apps a couple of times, it's not a scam is it?....sounds dodgy to me...haha

[PHP87]

There's a famous one in Shanghai as well, a pretty young Chinese girl approaches you on the street and invites you to a cafe to practice her English, you enjoy a nice tea, and then they give you a bill for a ridiculous amount, like 50,000 Baht, for a tea for two. The authorities have cracked down on it but I still saw warning posts about it in guesthouses in Shanghai.

Then there's the girls that seduce foreign men and entice them to bring them to a hotel. The "hotel" is actually a front owned by criminal groups who sneak in and steal wallets, etc., out of the victim's clothing.

Perhaps the posters who complain about 100 baht charges at the immigration office, or not being given 50 baht in change from a vegetable vendor, should consider it as a lesson for how to avoid much bigger scams!

Yeah, I read about the "Tea" scam with the "Scam Detector" app on my Android Phone.

I don't remember if it's a free app or a very inexpensive one, but it's available for iPhones as well.

Interesting reading and covers over 500 various scams.

You mention about apps a couple of times, it's not a scam is it?....sounds dodgy to me...haha

It's a free app. I have no association or any ties to it. I mention the app because it is an excellent resource to detect a variety of scams at your fingertips.

And as mentioned, it's interesting reading as well. Some of these scams are quite clever.

You're free to go to the iTunes web site or the Google Play Store web site and read the reviews about it.

The average or below average ratings for the app have to do with it being a bit buggy on certain handsets.

It works fine on my LG Spirit Android phone.

If it were "dodgy" then I seriously doubt Google and Apple would allow such an app to be on their respective app store websites as they are not exactly "fly by night" "dodgy" companies.

[hawker9000]

Independent sources (like CNET) seem to give it positive reviews...

[ThunderDuck]

I have been approached at least twenty times by the Philipino scammers in Phnom Phen ...

They mostly work in pairs. The procedure goes like this ...

1) " I like your hat /shirt / shoes. " (initiates conversation)

2) " How long have you been staying here" (they target tourists and new arrivals and are likely to depart if you are not)

3) " Where are you from ... My daughter is going to your city to study nursing." ( Oh my goodness what a coincidence!)

4) " My daughter is nervous about living in your city ... Please come to our house for lunch to meet her and help ease her concerns." (where card scam takes place)

I have played along a couple of times, even had them showing off their fake ID's ... but now I just ask them if they believe in Karma.

[NeverSure]

Never joined FB and never intend to. All sorts of potential trouble not to mention a major time suck. I waste enough time on TV as it is....

I have a FB account because sometimes I see a link to something I want to read and I have to log in. But the account is bogus with a throw-away yahoo email, a false name, and no picture.

[MrWorldwide]

Never joined FB and never intend to. All sorts of potential trouble not to mention a major time suck. I waste enough time on TV as it is....

I have a FB account because sometimes I see a link to something I want to read and I have to log in. But the account is bogus with a throw-away yahoo email, a false name, and no picture.

Let me guess - you're a 15-year old chick named Bambi ?

[simon43]

Turns out one of them was gay and despite telling him on numerous occasions I am straight, he still wanted me to "give it a go" lol. Very strange.

Ah, so it wasn't a blackjack scam but a gay pick-up.....

[simon43]

So many scams. I was once approached by a hot woman in Silom who persuaded me to go back to her condo and then scammed me into having all manner of sex with her because she said she felt too shy to try it on with her BF and needed to gain her confidence.

She only gave me $50 for my trouble...

[wooloomooloo]

I learned my lesson after an approach on Sukhumvit by an Indian fella years ago. I immediately knew he was a skank but my curiosity got the better of me. Within a minute of engaging with him there were two or three of his scum mates standing behind me.

The Indian had insulted my intelligence so severely within the space of ninety seconds that I experienced an overwhelming desire to beat him to death.

I decided on walking away and didn't look back and just as well for the Indian. Screw his mates, I would have made him pay had they escalated the situation.

[worgeordie]

Didn't your mother tell you never talk to strangers !,if anyone

asks me where I am from I say Ospakindstan ! or some other

made up countries name,that stops them in their tracks,as if

you give your real origin, say Liverpool, they will start talking

about football or the Beatles, giving them a way in.

Just remember, trust no one !,

regards Worgeordie

[peppa]

It is embarrassing to admit this, but I got caught out by these Filipino scammers.

My first trip to Cambodia in August last year, 62 year old female, travelling alone.

Day three in Phnom Penh,I was just around the corner from the mall looking at some hats, a lovely couple started chatting. Where you from? Aaaah! my sister go to Australia for nursing, mama so worried, she with bad heart, please you come for lunch assure her is safe in your country.

I said I was busy....we pick you up, he's on the phone...see I arrange mama has prepared dinner for you is just around the corner. They stop a tuk tuk....this is where my brain disconnected from my body....I got in with them. The ride took forever, going through back streets and lane ways, I'm thinking I'm in trouble now.

We get to their place, he puts the chain and padlock on the gate after we go in. I'm locked in now.

Where's mama? She be taken to hospital with heart trouble.

The female and myself sit down to lunch and uncle comes out. What does uncle do for job, you never guess......he's a croupier on a cruise ship. The bad woman from Belgium owes him much money, we can play the cards, I know the system how you win $100,000 from her, I can deal the cards so you win and you give me $50,000 she owe to me.

I say sorry I don't gamble....uncle still trying to convince me, I say must go have people coming to take me on tour soon and I don't gamble and I have no money on a pension and my lovely son pay for my little trip.

Ok....were heading out whew!!!! the lady say I take you to hospital to see mama....I'm on the street, jump in the first tuk tuk that stops and yelling Russian market quick quick....we're off, I didn't look back.

I googled Phom Penh gambling scam when I got back to the hotel and feel that I was very lucky, some people claim they were drugged at lunch.

Later that day there was a glitch with the ATM and I couldn't withdraw money ( I had left my bag unsecured in the lounge room whilst having lunch in the kitchen) thought for sure they had copied my credit card details and taken the lot. It wasn't until the next day that I was able to get access to my account....then I felt like hugging them for not touching my purse.

I will never know why I went away with strange people in a foreign country.

Call me stupid, I deserve it.

[Rumpole]

Some of the Filipino scammers in Cambodia appear to have changed their modus operandi of late. They are now collecting for "charity" and are pretty brazen with it, targeting not only visitors but also locals and expats, including other Filipinos working here. Some of them are more convincing than others, with official looking IDs around their necks, laminated solicitation cards and clipboards. Others just shove a charity donation envelope in your face. The causes they are "collecting" for range from Cambodian kids to (sickeningly) Filipino victims of Typhoon Haiyan. The police in Bangkok rounded up a gang of them a few months ago for doing the same thing (scamming is on the reserved occupation list for Thais only ), but so far they seem to operate with impunity here.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

why would anyone befriend someone that they have never known when they are approached in a public area in Asia and it concerns a deal that " cant be beat"???

And further, why would anyone go with a stranger anywhere? It confounds me completely. I am suspicious, nay, sure, that every single "friendly" person who approaches me on a street in Southeast Asia is trying to scam me. If it quacks like a duck, . . .

[Tomtomtom69]

In a city with as many tourists as Phnom Penh, anyone coming up to you asking standard, boring or even unusual questions like, "where are you from?" particularly if not initiated in a setting where you would expect to meet strangers (such as in a bar, and even there you would normally expect to meet foreigners and local girls, not local guys) should be treated with suspicion. If I was in that situation, it wouldn't have gone beyond giving them a surly smile and walking off.

Each to their own, but adding them on Facebook using your real profile was a bad idea. Do not under any circumstances present your real identity to a potential fraudster - and if you inadvertently did, then immediately delete all such links. If they keep insisting they want to take you somewhere by car, let them know that AVIS operates in Cambodia now and you can rent your own car and drive to the places they recommend yourself. There is absolutely no reason to go anywhere with strangers like that...

[Tomtomtom69]

why would anyone befriend someone that they have never known when they are approached in a public area in Asia and it concerns a deal that " cant be beat"???

Yeah and even more so in a place with so MANY tourists like Phnom Penh, where western and other foreign tourists are perennially present in large numbers, not to mention expats. The presence of foreigners in places like Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Saigon etc. is to be expected thus why would a foreigner put themselves into a situation like that, thinking that the scammers (who they think are just normal people) would somehow be able to pick them out from a crowd, like they're more special or something and decide to take them somewhere for fun? That just doesn't happen...

You also have to understand the culture too. While Cambodia is generally a nice country, with nice people, they DON'T walk up to strangers, whether local or foreign, to initiate conversations with them! Cambodians, Thais, Laotians, Vietnamese, Chinese do NOT act like that! The only time I would expect a local to strike up a conversation with me in such countries would be at a supermarket checkout, at a hotel, or perhaps on a long distance bus, train or plane. Certainly not on crowded city public transport or on the streets. In most cases, I would also be highly suspicious of anyone that comes up to me and speaks English. Most of my interactions with people in these situations have been in the local language and thus the encounters were innocent.

You might find that Indians do initiate conversations with strangers, particularly foreigners, and generally the conversations are quite innocent, but that's India! Still, even in India any invitation by a stranger to go somewhere should be treated with suspicion and declined.

[louse1953]

I've been going to PP for years. Never been approached by 2 or more at a time. But have been approached by well to do Filipino's before. All spoke good English.Usually they are just interested in talking over lunch. Guess I have been lucky not to run into these other scamers

Why would they be interested in talking over lunch,scam written all over it.When perfect strangers approach you,other than asking directions,treat it as a potential scam.

[Gary2164]

Last year I was walking along the riverfront in PP,about 7pm heading down to St104, across from the night market I sat down on a small wall as I was eating & drinking, an elderly Asian man came over (cant remember where from now? I though Khmer but now he mayb Phillipino , reading all this & as his English was good) . usual questions , where u from, where u stay, I never give the actual Hotel I stay, give another name) , how long u here for ? etc etc,, he then sat down , he said his brother works at Naga on tables , and is going to Australia soon to work at Syd Casino , and wanted to know a bit more about SYD, " he finish now I call him now , he come u can talk to him" . I said no its ok , don't know Syd , not live there and I never go Casino, " its ok , he just want to know about Australia ". he called him & he was there in 5 mins, I just finished eating , he came over didn't say much , his "Brother" left us to talk alone , he came back, now we go for dinner you can talk to my brother there. No Thanks , meet my friends in bar ( I was travelling alone) . What's yr phone number I call u later or tomorrow, I said "tomorrow I go Siem Reap, ( though I was still there for another few days). he was persistant, but his brother wasn't , as he knew I wasn't falling for it . Brother left & the 1st man just walked off a little waiting looking for somebody else to try & scam .-

maybe they were just really friendly ppl, but my alarms went off early in convo.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Gary2164

[kjhbigv]

For me alarm bells would start ringing in ANY country where someone walks up to me in the street and tries to start a conversation.

My first thought is what do they want and my second is let's get out of here.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[MAJIC]

Never joined FB and never intend to. All sorts of potential trouble not to mention a major time suck. I waste enough time on TV as it is....

I agree with you,it's a disaster in waiting that will surely happen. Some schools in the UK now have a rule when visiting the schools for social reasons,like the childrens christmas play,have to sign a form to say they will not upload any photos to social media sights. A perfectly reasonable request. For the thinkers amongst us!

Edited May 31, 2014 by MAJIC

[Tomtomtom69]

Never joined FB and never intend to. All sorts of potential trouble not to mention a major time suck. I waste enough time on TV as it is....

I agree with you,it's a disaster in waiting that will surely happen. Some schools in the UK now have a rule when visiting the schools for social reasons,like the childrens christmas play,have to sign a form to say they will not upload any photos to social media sights. A perfectly reasonable request. For the thinkers amongst us!

Fair enough, but Facebook is OK if you know how to use it properly. That is, only "friend" people you actually know and are comfortable sharing your moments and photos with. Of course, you can filter even better by only showing certain albums/statuses with certain people but not with others. And if you make your profile "private" you won't be able to receive friend requests from unknown people unless they are friends of existing friends. Even then, no one of these people can see anything other than your name and profile picture unless your friend request is approved.

It's worked for me since the beginning and I've rarely received friend requests from anyone because they can't find my profile using a search.

Anyway, each to their own. It seems to me that the way people are using Facebook is different to Line and WeChat for example. I have tried to connect with friends on Facebook, who've never added me maybe because they so rarely use Facebook or think it's too public however the second they found me on Line they added me. It's kinda strange though, the differences in attitudes towards different social media.

Oh but in the context of giving out any social media contacts to strangers - definitely a big no no. If anything, Line and WeChat 2 of the main phone based chat programs that have similar functions to Facebook and which are associated with your phone number and usually on throughout the day are even more "intimate" than Facebook and you should thus never give out your phone number to a stranger for that reason. If they try to add you on these phone based chat programs, immediately block them. But better yet, don't even give out your phone number in the first place.

[worgeordie]

As soon a someone asks me where i am from,my guard is up,

so i tell them Balutzistani or some other made up name,if i

said UK,straight away that lets them ask another question,

maybe about Man U, Liverpool.London,anything,always

better to be cautious.

regards worgeordie

[travelkat]

Thanks PHP for posting this information, together with the scamdetector site information. I travel regularly throughout South East Asia and beyond and have heard about amultitude of scams practiced throughout the region. Never heard about the phone in the pocket one though.

Fortunately I've never been caught and I put that down to not leaving my common sense at home or letting down my guard when travelling. Of course I'm happy to talk to

many people, but as soon as the red flag goes up inside my head, I'm out of there.

[fey]

you can get wacked in pp riding somewhere with two strangers. not worth the risk.

[Chicog]

I'd been here two hours when a complete stranger offered me skunk. Jog on son!