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

[pgrahmm]

16 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Everyone's Krusty the Clown.

Naah -

 

Just another pun in the oven....

Edited December 19, 2016 by pgrahmm

[AsiaCheese]

Happened to me too, at Macro in Jomtien. Same Indian gentleman, same kid, same questions, same very cautious while friendly (and somewhat confused) attitude on my part. Kid was far enough away (no pickpocket risk), wallet firmly clutched in my hand, showing a 1,000 then a 100, one at a time without showing wallet contents. Pointed him to an exchange booth (none in the vicinity there) and that was the end of that story. Nothing negative came from it, but now that I think about it, there have been those regular mysterious deposits in my bank account since then. Oh - no, that's my pension rolling in...

[Mansell]

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.....

I got fed up with leather wallets falling apart and bought an aluminum metal wallet with slots for six credit cards or licenses. Cannot scan cards through the metal. Bought it online, company name is ACM. It has a clip for money, but I like to carry cash in a pocket in front. Probably had it for eight years now and still going strong. Not bulky, though they have one for 12 cards...bulky.

[elgordo38]

On 12/16/2016 at 2:20 PM, Jingthing said:

But then you'll never have a good experience from mingling with strangers... and they can be good experiences. 

If anything I approach strangers and strike up a conversation. Some of the results are amazing. Guess I will have to build a small Faraday cage to put my credit card in. 

[Mansell]

2 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

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

Me and the Mahatma always wear sandals....but we are classy people, though I hate his sheet.

[Prbkk]

1 hour ago, pgrahmm said:

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

 

Yes, you have to keep  on guard or you're toast.

[kowpot]

I never keep bills in my wallet. I alway use a money clip and keep it in my front pocket.  No way anyone is going to get it without me knowing.  If you happen to get my wallet, you  will get a debit card to one of my accounts with only what I need for a couple of weeks. Drivers license, insurance card, and retired military ID.  Not much you can do with any of that. 

[pgrahmm]

24 minutes ago, Prbkk said:

 

Yes, you have to keep  on guard or you're toast.

 

Could really put him in a jam.....

[mcfish]

I got the you have a lucky face line in Siam paragon of all places. Also got it in my condo lobby and the gent was quickly escorted out by our extremely good security guys

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[TulipBulb]

2 hours ago, lungnorm said:

He was likely going to ROLL you for your BREAD

 

Nah, the Indian just wanted to see how much DOUGH he had.

[Baerboxer]

On 12/16/2016 at 2:01 PM, Jingthing said:

That definitely wouldn't have worked. Buy groceries for a well dressed stranger with a load of cash on him? Sure thing. I can see sympathy for the child but the child was a total brat.

But I can see the point that there might have been NUMEROUS scam tactics he was making a play for, and correctly judged that as a mark, I wasn't easy enough for any of them. 

 

BTW, I don't want to flatter myself as being someone that can't possibly be scammed by con men. It happened to me twice when I was in my 20's and notice from the story I'm not one to instantly tell strangers to bugger off. I played along enough to see what he was up to. Perhaps most people wouldn't have even been as friendly as I was. 

 

Of course most people that are scammed don't ever admit it. It's embarrassing and like I said before the best scams appeal to the GREED of the mark ... so those scammed that way are even less likely to report the crime to the police. 

 

The child is there to distract you as well as gaining some initial sympathy. And most people are not so suspicious when someone has a child or children with them. Often this con is done in a group which looks like a nice family. All eager to see the nice bank notes. Only they palm a few. And by the time you realize they're long gone. That's more usual than the fake note exchange as most people more wary of that.

 

 

[SaintLouisBlues]

On 12/16/2016 at 9:04 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.

My invariable answer, spoken loudly and in impeccable English is "I'm frightfully sorry old boy, but I don't speak English"

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

The child is there to distract you as well as gaining some initial sympathy. And most people are not so suspicious when someone has a child or children with them. Often this con is done in a group which looks like a nice family. All eager to see the nice bank notes. Only they palm a few. And by the time you realize they're long gone. That's more usual than the fake note exchange as most people more wary of that.

 

 

He needs to teach that kid to BEHAVE better then! She's not helping!

Edited December 19, 2016 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Assuming the most likely scam with this guy is an attempt to exchange counterfeit 100 dollar notes for baht (probably at a favorable exchange rate for the mark, but that doesn't matter as the dollars would be worthless) it's fair to assume that the scam does work sometimes.

Imagine the marks.

I reckon probably most will have a closer look at the dollar note(s) later and realize they're comic book versions. At that point, most wouldn't go to the police. After all, now it's them holding the hot potato of fake money.

Even worse, imagine if people try to exchange that money. Then it's the victim that would have problems with the police.

 

 

Edited December 19, 2016 by Jingthing

[Nbarch]

This does sound like a scam that did not have a successful outcome for the scammers.

I agree with others, I would have been expecting some note switching or just a distraction while the little girl is stealing your cell phone from your back pocket.

A trick that saved me once in the past is to carry a second wallet, with the second containing very little money and some old expired bank cards etc.

 

[louse1953]

Last time i was in Kolkata and leaving to fly home an Indian airport official wanted me to change money as i was running to board a plane.This was 30 metres before the boarding gate,F O is all i had time to say.They are always trying the change money scam.

[louse1953]

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

Yes, I agree most likely.

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

If it was that flavor of scam, the MARK would need to be A LOT friendlier to random strangers than I usually am!

Or he eyed my wallet and saw I probably didn't even have 3,000 baht on me, so why bother. 

The unruly child could be part of the scam theater attracting friendly, helpful people. Poor kid is acting up, probably HUNGRY and needs bread NOW ... help her out by exchanging money with Daddy.

The flashing of the wallet packed dollar 100's seemed odd only that he was showing it to me, not so much that it didn't fit his back story. Many people from India, Russia, etc. fly in with bags of  U.S. dollars.

I wouldn't be be flashing that cash too much,some locals may take advantage and then come back and slap him around for having fakes.

[Minnehaha]

you had me at "well dressed Indian"

[louse1953]

On 12/17/2016 at 4:28 PM, 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?

 

Nut him,nobody else will care.

[louse1953]

On 12/17/2016 at 5:50 PM, kkerry said:

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.

No need to be polite,they are trying to ROB you.

[Jingthing]

Nut him,nobody else will care.

I don't get your slang usage. Do something sexual on him?

[lungnorm]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

I don't get your slang usage. Do something sexual on him?

Head clash. Liverpool kiss.

[Jingthing]

Implicit in the story but a key part of the scam is obviously baiting the mark into suggesting the exchange and for him to think it's his idea.

[atyclb]

9 hours ago, atyclb said:

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%. 

 

PS; i had often purchased the casino brand frozen pizzas (france) since they reasonably priced at 110 baht then went up to 125 baht. After the management changed the price was jacked to 199 baht even though the euro baht exchange rate did not justify it nor were other casino brand made in france products boosted price in similar way. now i see a stockpile of casino frozen pizzas that nobody is buying.

 

there are restaurants where you can sit down and get a fresh pizza for 200 baht or so. why pay 199 when you need to do the legwork and then need to use an oven to prepare it. 125 was a fair logical realistic retail price.

 

near expiration date they will mark the pizzas down to 125.

[Prbkk]

Perhaps the Indians are just exchanging some of their cricket bet winnings: 7/760 dec, 

[marko kok prong]

Hmm,Jt,a bread stick a black man and his wallet,well i will draw my own conclusions ,by the way happy xmas Jt.

[windas]

Had an old scam tried on me at Bluepoint in Hua Hin about a month ago. The well dressed female, looked korean or chinese and I was with my Thai wife. She came up to me and said "time please papa". I put my hand into my pocket as she tried to do the same. Knowing that she had been sussed she was gone like a rocket.

I never use a wallet, just have a couple of thousand in mixed notes in my right pocket as I'm right handed. More than that and the wife would have had a field day in Bluepoint.

[Elkski]

Reminds me of the time my dad got scammed in Denver, Co.  Couple black dudes in a caddy pull up and ask my dad if he wanted to buy some new TV's in the box.   They acted real suspicious so my dad thought they were hot.   It was about a 20" color CRT TV.  They shortened his inspection  process by acting real worried about coppers.   Pulled around back where my for the exchange.   Ended up with an old TV all wrapped up just perfect in a new box.  Haha.   

 

It's hard to imagine I wouldn't feel a pick pocket.   But I'm sure that is what all think.   If you use a money belt what are your rules about when you access it?  Only in private or at a bank branch?  How to do when exchanging a wad?

 

PS no one is ever going to be offered to hold or look in my wallet.     

Edited December 19, 2016 by Elkski

[amjamj]

Interesting to know ! Thank you !

But why do you reply to any random guy who talk to you ? I don't even look at them !

 

 

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, amjamj said:

Interesting to know ! Thank you !

But why do you reply to any random guy who talk to you ? I don't even look at them !

 

 

You may a compelling point especially considering the bread shopper wasn't even cute!