Over 100 victims lose more than Bt60 million in Facebook alleged gold bidding scam

[webfact]

Over 100 victims lose more than Bt60 million in Facebook alleged gold bidding scam
By The Nation

 

BANGKOK: -- More than 100 people lost over Bt60 million in an alleged gold-bidding scam on Facebook, police said.

 

The Facebook page reportedly offered gold bars and ornaments at a rate cheaper than market prices.

 

Pol Colonel Sayam Boonsom, deputy commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), said the alleged scheme operator, Ratchuda Thongyaem, opened the bidding for gold bars and ornaments at starting prices lower than half the market price.

 

The victims were offered the opportunity to make profits from the gold by bidding at Bt3,000 to Bt5,000 lower than the market price for one baht or 12.5 grams of gold for a while before the scheme operator allegedly disappeared with their money.

 

Those who offered the best prices were reportedly required to wire the money to Ratchuda who later sent the gold to them via mail parcels.

 

Sayam said on Wednesday 60 victims had filed complaints with the TCSD and their losses amounted to about Bt28 million.

 

He said other victims had filed complaints earlier and about 100 people had allegedly been cheated with total damage at over Bt60 million.

 

One victim reportedly lost Bt13 million, Sayam added.

 

Naiphaporn Promsaeng, 32, a victim, said she started bidding for gold on the Facebook page since December. Initially, she got the gold after paying the money and managed to make some profit by reselling the gold to the gold shops. However, she alleged that did not receive the gold she had bid and paid for in February and March.

 

Ratchuda made her latest post on her Facebook wall on Saturday, saying she did not plan to flee with the money and she intended to send the gold to her customers. She also posted what appeared to be a statement recorded by police that she promised to honour the sale promise.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30312789

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-20

[DLang]

"Over 100 victims lose more than Bt60 million in Facebook alleged gold bidding scam By The Nation BANGKOK:"

 

I thought The Nation would be above this kind of thing. 

 

*Joke*

 

No need to have me arrested. 

Edited April 20, 2017 by DLang

[DLang]

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

The victims were offered the opportunity to make profits from the gold by bidding at Bt3,000 to Bt5,000 lower than the market price for one baht or 12.5 grams of gold for a while before the scheme operator allegedly disappeared with their money.

 

Those who offered the best prices were reportedly required to wire the money to Ratchuda who later sent the gold to them via mail parcels.

 

Sayam said on Wednesday 60 victims had filed complaints with the TCSD and their losses amounted to about Bt28 million.

 

He said other victims had filed complaints earlier and about 100 people had allegedly been cheated with total damage at over Bt60 million.

 

One victim reportedly lost Bt13 million, Sayam added.

 

Honestly, wiring someone 13m baht because they say that they will mail you gold at below have the market value...

 

The mind boggles at the greed blinding stupidity of them.

[darksidedog]

As they say a fool and his money are easily parted and anyone who didn't smell something fishy about this, is definitely a fool.

[colinthailand20005]

I don't believe someone who has access to 13 million baht would be so foolish to send money before receiving the gold?

 

I think this news story is either incorrect or been over played by the media.

Edited April 20, 2017 by colinthailand20005

[NCC1701A]

500 Thais sign up for anti scam seminar but it turns out to be a scam.

 

 

[Misterwhisper]

Once again the mind boggles how many gullible idiots this country harbors, blinded by their own greed.

 

In any reasonable person one alarm bell after another would've gone off:

- gold sales on Facebook?

- at less than half the market price?

- transferring money through (non-traceable) Western Union?

- receiving gold bars in the MAIL?????

 

Jesus Christ, how stupid can someone actually be?

 

Those twits who fell for this obvious scam deserve their financial loss fair and square and I have no sympathy for them whatsoever.

[colinneil]

1 born every minute, how can people be so gullible??

Greed, greed, greed, thats all it is, if it sounds to good to be true then it normally is not true.

Send me your money, then i will put the gold in the mail.

[lvr181]

Sounds similar to: The cheque is in the mail or I wont *** ** **** face! 

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

One victim reportedly lost Bt13 million, Sayam added.

Truly amazing must be inherited money. Nobody that worked hard to accumulate this amount would be so stupid as to fritter it away in this manner. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Hard to tell which is worse...

 

--the incredible, amazing lack of financial/consumer awareness on the part of the victims,

 

or

 

--their greed for the latest in a long series of get-rich-quick and easy scams that are rampant here.

 

BTW, where's the technology crime suppression folks when you need them to PREVENT this scam being run via Facebook before 100+ people lose their money?

 

Apparently, out prosecuting plaque protesters and shutting down discussion seminars.

 

 

[A1Str8]

Money hungry met the money hungry. Someone was bound to get ripped off.

[digger70]

Why are people so gullible? don't they Think? are they Stupid ? Or are they so Brain washed with their Religion that they believe anything.This is beyond comprehension,unbelievable.

[elgordo38]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

BTW, where's the technology crime suppression folks when you need them to PREVENT this scam being run via Facebook before 100+ people lose their money?

They are to busy chasing the computer crimes people. You get more photo op punch per man hours worked on this. Their tolerance for suckers seems on the same level as posters here. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, digger70 said:

Why are people so gullible? don't they Think? are they Stupid ? Or are they so Brain washed with their Religion that they believe anything.This is beyond comprehension,unbelievable.

Well, one reason is, AFAIK, there's basically no consumer financial education being provided in Thai public schools -- how to manage your money, how to protect yourself, what things to watch out for.

 

I'm always amazed when I meet ordinary Thai people to discover how little they know about the world of managing and protecting their money.

[Bluespunk]

Ah FB, scam artists and greedy fools. 

 

The perfect storm. 

[lee68]

This happens worldwide, plenty of greedy people eveywere, my wife got done years ago in phuket, she was lucky and got her money back. Lesson learned.

[elgordo38]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Well, one reason is, AFAIK, there's basically no consumer financial education being provided in Thai public schools -- how to manage your money, how to protect yourself, what things to watch out for.

 

I'm always amazed when I meet ordinary Thai people to discover how little they know about the world of managing and protecting their money.

Yes money is so difficult to come by for every Tom Dick and Somchai in Thailand. At the very least the school system could start at an early age to teach you how to hang onto it. The sky is full of pie in the sky schemes at least give them a fighting chance. 

[ChakaKhan]

Money corrupts---uneducated cant handle money properly

 

Greed....ignorance--lack of education

 

The weak minded are easily preyed upon--i have no sympathy for them

 

Som naam naa....

[Reigntax]

7 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Hard to tell which is worse...

 

--the incredible, amazing lack of financial/consumer awareness on the part of the victims,

 

or

 

--their greed for the latest in a long series of get-rich-quick and easy scams that are rampant here.

 

BTW, where's the technology crime suppression folks when you need them to PREVENT this scam being run via Facebook before 100+ people lose their money?

 

Apparently, out prosecuting plaque protesters and shutting down discussion seminars.

 

 

 Or counting their money from their latest fakbook scam?

 

I am starting to see the junta's plan. Keep the population uneducated, lacking critical reasoning and naive which provides opportunities to drain any wealth from them that they accumulate, thus lessening the chance to rise up and challenge us from our positions of entitlement.

[wakeupplease]

gullible greedy idiots get what they deserve NICE

[Moonmoon]

As usual the scam works becos for the 1st and 2nd time the buyers received the gold for real and really sold it for profit. then for the last time the scammer when he got what he wanted he disappeared. 

 

Its always like this in Thailand. throw out the 1st and 2nd times as bait and finally get the big fish later, like we see with Shogun's case and the doctor tour scam case and this case too. 

[djayz]

The mind boggles at just how easy it is to make money... unfortunately I'm too straight (read unimaginative) to come up with such a cunning way to make money. 

[Jonmarleesco]

People just don't seem to learn.