Couple earn over Bt1.5m from online cat scam

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok:- A couple has allegedly made more than Bt1.5 million from their fraudulent online advertisements about cute cats for sale.

The free advertisements say Persian or Scottish Fold cats are available at a very cheap price. However, after hundreds of victims transferred money to the advertisers’ bank account, they have never really got a kitty.

Tammanit Thaowannee, 31, and his girlfriend are behind this fraudulent scheme, according to police.

“I’ve got this idea because I was once a victim of a similar scheme,” Tammanit told police.

Describing himself as a cat lover, he said he spent much money on his cat’s medical bill in 2013 and thus decided to start the fraud.

“There must have been over 250 victims already,” he said. While he is now in police detention, his girlfriend is still on the run.

Pol Maj General Panurat Lakboon, commander of Patrol and Special Operation Division, says police tracked down Tammanit after a group of victims came forward.

“He and his girlfriend have lured each of their victims to transfer between Bt5,000 and Bt27,000 to their bank account as a deposit for the cat that has never been delivered,” he says.

Rattana Norarat, one of the victims, says she lost Bt10,000 to this con couple last month and immediately lodged a complaint with a police.

“After that, I have also created a Facebook page to bring together other victims,” she says. Rattana’s group has found more than 50 victims and they are preparing to pursue legal actions against the alleged con couple together.

[NeverSure]

The title of the thread could be "Never pay for your kitty until you receive it and make sure that it's real."

[Commander Tamson]

I've just entered pussy into google, to see if the scam was maybe still there. Was pleasantly surprised by what Google returned - particularly the images. And is the scam still there, I hear you say? Who the <deleted> cares?

[iReason]

"transfer between Bt5,000 and Bt27,000." ?

For a cat?

Som nam naa.

[kingalfred]

Fools and money easily parted. Paypal is so wonderful. Scammers never use a 3rd party cash holder.

[upena]

The scam only works if there are greedy people out there.

[pjthefey]

In Thailand they say the couple EARNED money in a cat scam....

In most other countries they'd say the couple STOLE money.

[ChiangmaiRob]

I never pay up front for any pussy, I've always got to check out the furry little devil first!

[Suradit69]

The title of the thread could be "Never pay for your kitty until you receive it and make sure that it's real."

Of course these people are doing something that is criminal, but just sending off money for a live animal that you haven't actually seen in person has to be criminally stupid. I would want to see what sort of conditions exist where the kitten was raised, both for its sake and to be sure I wasn't giving money to some kitten mill. And payment on delivery seems a reasonable expectation. How was it supposedly going to be delivered anyway? In a box through the post office??

Sad all around. It makes you wonder about the intelligence of all the people who proclaim that they've been scammed in Thailand. The very low hanging fruit is just begging to be plucked (or another word that sound remarkably similar).

[Suradit69]

"transfer between Bt5,000 and Bt27,000." ?

For a cat?

Som nam naa.

I paid over Baht 10,000 for a Siamese from a breeder in Bangkok ... after inspecting his place and personally collecting her.

Not that expensive by western standards.

[LivinLOS]

"A couple has allegedly made more than Bt1.5 million from their fraudulent online advertisements about cute cats for sale"

“He and his girlfriend have lured each of their victims to transfer between Bt5,000 and Bt27,000 to their bank account as a deposit for the cat that has never been delivered,” he says.

“After that, I have also created a Facebook page to bring together other victims,” she says. Rattana’s group has found more than 50 victims and they are preparing to pursue legal actions against the alleged con couple together.

1.5 mil divided by 50 is 30k each.. Yet some people paid as little as 5000 and a max of 27000.. So either someone needs to redo the math, or there was a LOT more than 50 people ripped off.

[ChiangmaiRob]

"A couple has allegedly made more than Bt1.5 million from their fraudulent online advertisements about cute cats for sale"

“He and his girlfriend have lured each of their victims to transfer between Bt5,000 and Bt27,000 to their bank account as a deposit for the cat that has never been delivered,” he says.

“After that, I have also created a Facebook page to bring together other victims,” she says. Rattana’s group has found more than 50 victims and they are preparing to pursue legal actions against the alleged con couple together.

1.5 mil divided by 50 is 30k each.. Yet some people paid as little as 5000 and a max of 27000.. So either someone needs to redo the math, or there was a LOT more than 50 people ripped off.

Someone also actually needs to read the story! There were 50 people found through the Facebook page set up to trace those scammed, the guy himself said there must have been over 250 people scammed!

[ratcatcher]

I never pay up front for any pussy, I've always got to check out the furry little devil first!

Of course you do. You never pay for play, you merely pay her to go away.

[WitawatWatawit]

I knew ratcatcher could not resist this thread. Been up drainpipes lately, mate?

[Thakkar]

Everyone knows cats never really belong to you. What these people got was a cat, but without the medical and feeding bills.

T

[SOTIRIOS]

.....earn....???

...is this a Thai Buddhism thing...???

...all psycho thieves, lairs, cheaters, robbers, murderers are actually 'innocent victims'....

...justified in anything they do.....???

....except for non-Thais....???

...I do not think I have encountered any similar criminal psychological phenomenon....

[HooHaa]

"A couple has allegedly made more than Bt1.5 million from their fraudulent online advertisements about cute cats for sale"

“He and his girlfriend have lured each of their victims to transfer between Bt5,000 and Bt27,000 to their bank account as a deposit for the cat that has never been delivered,” he says.

“After that, I have also created a Facebook page to bring together other victims,” she says. Rattana’s group has found more than 50 victims and they are preparing to pursue legal actions against the alleged con couple together.

1.5 mil divided by 50 is 30k each.. Yet some people paid as little as 5000 and a max of 27000.. So either someone needs to redo the math, or there was a LOT more than 50 people ripped off.

or perhaps you could take the time to read the op where it states over 250 scammed.

[angiolo]

Dont buy a ..PIG IN A POKE . old British saying.. another one...LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP

[Lukecan]

I thought the word "earn" was used when something is done legally and ethically.

[rabid old goat]

thailand has the most beautiful pussys i have seen. had a brief conversation with a real cutie on the steps of the minimart just now this evening. real stunner

perhaps the rest of the world has them too now havent been out and about for so long i dont know.

[ggt]

“I’ve got this idea because I was once a victim of a similar scheme,”

Brilliant...give them an "A" for learning their lesson...too well...

[Nuddy]

The technicalities of the translation don't seem as important that yet another Thai is caught doing a criminal scam.

I find it frustrating that one cannot find a Thai man to do a labor job in Thailand but everyday the news reports yet another criminal scam by Thai people.

Where are all the workers? Where are all these guys sitting around thinking up another scam. These days to get a job done we have to employ Cambodians, Laos, and Vietnam people. The Thai man is siting on his backside thinking up his next criminal scam I reckon but he won't work for a buck anytime ever. Are all Thai, criminals waiting to get caught.

[Torrens54]

They sure built-up their own "KITTY."

[cookee68]

The moral of the story, is never pay for a little pussy up front, I live by that rule.

[enufsaid]

"Earnt the money" don't think do, scammed, conned, stole, earn, means to work, whoever made this headline needs to go back to school

[enufsaid]

"Earnt the money" don't think so, scammed, conned, stole, earn, means to work, whoever wrote this headline needs to go back to school

[ezzra]

I myself also lost a lot of money on cute pussies... albeit the 2 legged ones....

[Friendly Stranger]

Double take. I thought it read cat scan lol.

Sending money first before receiving the goods?? Stiil? Really?

What a sweetheart he is: It was done to him so do it to others. No empathy what so ever.

[katana]

Picture of the perp, 31 year-old computer repairman Tammanit Thaowannee.

[rabid old goat]

.

I find it frustrating that one cannot find a Thai man to do a labor job in Thailand

for a thai man that would be admitting to the world that he haven't attained nirvana which would be a most serious loss of face