Strange encounter at the bread counter ... what sort of scam is this?

[NoshowJones]

Didn't he tell you it was your lucky day?

[Berkshire]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

OK, here's a fun question. 

What if I run into this scam artist again, now that the consensus seems to be he definitely was up to no good?

What would you do?

 

 

I'd just greet the guy in a friendly sort of way, ask him how he's doing, nice weather...basically engage in harmless banter.  And then at some point, just blurt out "So how's your little scam going?"  But be sure to keep your wallet and other valuables well secured. 

[mcfish]

Any Indian who approaches a westerner is scamming.. Period!
He couldn't have made it from the airport for starters

Just walk away

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[Jingthing]

 
Last time was probably in the 1970s, when social scientists in California --- during covert research --- asked random strangers do things that were against common expectations and outside established norms of interacting with people in public.
 
Mr Jingthing is probably far too much a Flâneur to let the opportunity pass and to inspect the conduct of the deranged, debilitated, or shady of Pattaya. Fair play to the OP! I probably would have felt quite unnerved in such an encounter.

Flâneur.

I love it!

[Jingthing]

Didn't he tell you it was your lucky day?

He did not but I get the yoke.

[Jingthing]

So, you are suggesting that Jingthing looks like this? Always nice to learn something new here... ok. not sure if the flaneur file attached or not... but thanks for the new word...
 
 

I wish.

[Jingthing]

My response... blank them and walk away. It's a scam, so you're not going to be offending anyone.
 
Otherwise, if you want to make a pretense of being polite, something like...sorry can't talk now, I must finish my shopping, wife is waiting outside in the car with the children, but if you go to the next corner and turn left, the exchange booth there will help you... and walk away. End of engagement.

Next time. I honestly didn't know what was up at the time. Sometimes I'm thick.

[Morakot]

15 minutes ago, mcfish said:

Any Indian who approaches a westerner is scamming.. Period!
 

 

 

 

[wow64]

An Indian in Thailand?

 

He was about to sell you a Boss Suit 

[Prbkk]

Just be thankful he didn't go for your buns.

[jacko45k]

Had he seen more cash on you, I suspect he would have tried to sell you a suit.

[recom273]

On December 16, 2016 at 2:35 PM, pgrahmm said:

I cut an aluminum foil piece that fits into the CC slots in my wallet as was advised in the article I'd read.....

Sounds like a manufacturing opportunity there

[bubba1]

On 12/16/2016 at 5:47 AM, balo said:

This has been going on for years.  Normally they will stop you outside in the streets or in bars and every time they ask to see how a Thai baht note looks like and ask you about the value , they make sure to operate far away from any exchange boots.  

You probably looked like an easy victim , if you were dressed like a tourist . 

 

Probably had a 'Hillary for 2016' shirt on would be an easy target of someone not too sharp

[atyclb]

is the following a supermarket scam? ;  big c markdown area wher near expiry or expirednon refrigerated  products are recently mixed with normal price items. when workers are asked why normal priced items are there they blame it on customers leaving them there but when asked if customers neatly arrange multiple pieces they clam up and remove the items. in addition after the change to domestic management-board of directors the previously industry standard 50% markdoms on even near expiry or expiry refrigerated products went from 50% industry standard to 66-75%. 

[IAMHERE]

My guess is the little girl was to give him an excuse to vacate the area real quick like after he'd gotten you to change his dollars into baht. Why she was so 'dirty' or unkempt is beyond me, maybe just not thinking enough on his part.

How was the bread?

[Tengu]

It could even be to see where you keep your wallet and if there is enough in it for his watching pick-pocket partner to bother with.

[KIWIBATCH]

Give these scammers an inch...they will take a mile.......someone like this Indian guy waffling on about money....how to buy bread etc etc....gets a few seconds of my time and a few words......the words being...."<deleted> off"........

[steven100]

Anytime you have an Indian, Nigerian, African, Pakistanian, Italian, Mexican or any foreign identity approach or ask a question just shake your head and say no and keep moving, you'll never have an issue then.

[pgrahmm]

Sometimes "no engliss" finds itself useful.....

[samsensam]

On 16/12/2016 at 1:07 PM, Jingthing said:

I dress how I dress. Hardly a tourist. 

You say it's been going on for years.

I'm not surprised.

But new to me ... so others that it's new to, they've been warned. 

 

it was a fair comment, many foreigners living here do dress like tourists and if you dress like a tourist you will attract 'tourist' attention.

 

i generally dress well and am ignored by tuk tuk drivers, 'lucky man' scammers and their like. occasionally i wear shorts and t-shirt and they are on my case.

 

the way you dress says a lot about you - and remember footwear is a good indicator of class

[chicowoodduck]

Oh my Buddha, just buy low and sell high.....?

[lungnorm]

He was likely going to ROLL you for your BREAD

[Krataiboy]

On 12/16/2016 at 5:04 AM, ukrules said:

Certainly sounds like a scam to me. I'd keep my wallet in my pocket and tell him to 'move on' and hassle someone else.

 

 

 

A similar thing happened to me when I was withdrawing money from an ATM in a quiet soi off Sukumvit one evening. I had noticed two guys who appeared to be following me - one behind me and the other walking parallel on the other side of the street.

 

As I withdrew the cash, keeping a wary eye open, one of the men sidled up (he looked like an Indian or Pakistani) and began asking me about the exchange rate enquiring whether I could show him some Thai currency.  At this moment, I saw the guy on the opposite side of the street begin crossing the road, so I tried to make myself look fierce and rasped "F--- off!" as loudly as I could.  

 

I took off at a very fast walk towards the main road about 100 meters away. Glancing over my shoulder I saw the men in a huddle, presumably debating their next move. Mercifully, they shot off in the opposite direction.

 

The moral of the story is pretty obvious: Never draw cash from an ATM in a quiet location. The busier the area the better.

 

Don't worry about being labelled paranoid. In Thailand you can't be too careful.

[lungnorm]

1 minute ago, Krataiboy said:

 

A similar thing happened to me when I was withdrawing money from an ATM in a quiet soi off Sukumvit one evening. I had noticed two guys who appeared to be following me - one behind me and the other walking parallel on the other side of the street.

 

As I withdrew the cash, keeping a wary eye open, one of the men sidled up (he looked like an Indian or Pakistani) and began asking me about the exchange rate enquiring whether I could show him some Thai currency.  At this moment, I saw the guy on the opposite side of the street begin crossing the road, so I tried to make myself look fierce and rasped "F--- off!" as loudly as I could.  

 

I took off at a very fast walk towards the main road about 100 meters away. Glancing over my shoulder I saw the men in a huddle, presumably debating their next move. Mercifully, they shot off in the opposite direction.

 

The moral of the story is pretty obvious: Never draw cash from an ATM in a quiet location. The busier the area the better.

 

Don't worry about being labelled paranoid. In Thailand you can't be too careful.

Its a bit different here in the Philippines. All ATM's are either in Malls or outside Banks and there are security guards outside every bank and every shop in the malls. Still you must keep an eye out for bricks. The most common way to steal money from someone at an ATM is to get hit on the head with a brick. The security guards are a bit slow on the uptake and most likely only notice when you hit the deck or yell out loudly. 

[pgrahmm]

55 minutes ago, lungnorm said:

He was likely going to ROLL you for your BREAD

Naah - just buttering him up .... A friend in knead type thing....That's why the dough eyed kid was there....

[lungnorm]

He was probably told by his Thai G/F all ferangs are walking ATM's

[Old Croc]

23 minutes ago, pgrahmm said:

Naah - just buttering him up .... A friend in knead type thing....That's why the dough eyed kid was there....

Everyone's Krusty the Clown.

[Suradit69]

On 12/16/2016 at 0:01 PM, Jingthing said:

It felt really fishy but I didn't suspect that specific scam at the time. Thought about it later.

 

Wonder why he decided you were the most likely target amongst the bakery browsers.

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

 

Wonder why he decided you were the most likely target amongst the bakery browsers.

I'm very approachable. 

[lungnorm]

5 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

 

Wonder why he decided you were the most likely target amongst the bakery browsers.

Have nice buns