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Scamwatch
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What to watch
out for while you are travelling...
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If it's too good to be true, it usually
is. But despite people realising this, numerous people
get caught by a scam every year. People who are usually
sensible about things get sucked into schemes that on
the face of it seem reliable, but which almost always
turn out damaging. It is easy enough to blame people
for their own manipulation - greed is often an influencing
factor; possibly some people are just innocent. But
there's more to it than that... Many of the people involved
in scams are credible and convincing enough to make
even the most careful person get involved in things
without realising what they are doing.
What follows is a list of scams travelers have come
across... Be warned! |
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| Aces
low ... |
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| Jacko
writes: "I was approached by a pretty girl who
saw I was from New Zealand, she said her sister was
going to Auckland Uni and would I speak to her mother,
to put her mind at ease. At this point her brother turned
up and they hailed a taxi to the outskirts of town.
They lived in a nice house and I was offered some rice,
[no problems so far] must wait for mother not long,
father comes in, he is a dealer in the casino and has
a very rich friend who will be coming by shortly to
play a few hands of 21, the other guy arrives and plays
the hands against the brother of course he doesn't mind
if I watch (before he arrived the dealer showed us both
a code he would use to tell us what the rich guy had
in his hand - how would he know??? The rich guy was
so arrogant that he shows his cards to the dealer) yeah
right! The rich guy makes a bet on 16 ,but the brother
did'nt have enough to cover the bet although I know
he will win, the rich guy is asked if I can support
the brother with funds. Of course, I stand up thank
them for the experience shake their hands and leave
knowing that I have been very lucky that they were such
amateurs - this started outside the Pantip Plaza. |
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| Please note: Gambling is illegal in
Thailand - don't get involved or you will suffer the
consequences. |
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| It
happens... |
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| Seb Li writes: "Regarding the jewelry
scam - In 2000 I was stupid enough to fall for this
scam, hook line and sinker. It happened exactly the
way it has been described, and it was on my first day,
but I remember the guy who first approached me said
he was a teacher. Yes the store did take me to another
shop to buy gold for them, and in return I ended up
with worthless jewelery. They even checked how much
money I could spend on my credit card to get the most
out of me. I fell for it, but all along I felt a little
uneasy but it felt impossible for me to say no. The
experience ruined me financially for quite some time.
However..... I NOW LIVE IN THAILAND AND LOVE THE PEOPLE
AND THE COUNTRY, THE GOOD OF THIS COUNTRY DEFINITELY
OUTWAYS THE BAD. EXPERIENCE THE GOOD AND YOU WILL SEE
THAT THE BAD HARDLY EXISTS. Oh and if you call yourself
a traveller try not to stay in just the tourist towns
they are for holliday makers. Hak Isan li li! |
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| What happened? |
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MBKUDU writes:
"This is just another scam to look out for. This
happened to my brother and I back in 1993 in Bangkok.
Two well dressed men in a car stopped alongside us
while we were just walking along. They asked us if
we would be interested in doing some film advertising
work. At the time we were looking for work to stay
in Thailand. We agreed and got in the car. He went
on and about how much money we could earn, etc...
We finally arrived at a town house way out on the
outskirts of the city. We were new in Thailand, but
we were uncomfortably out of the city. We kept asking
about details of the work, but the main "Talker" of
the two slowly trailed off the subject of work and
casually mentioned playing a card game while we waited
for the agent to arrive.It instantly smelled of a
rat. We refused to play cards and they became agitated
by our refusal. Upstairs we heard a crackling sound
much like the sound of a police radio. That was it
for us. We didn't know what was in store for us, and
we weren't about to find out either. We got up and
suddenly left much to their disappointment, walked
about two blocks and flagged a taxi back to the city.
When we look back on it, we feel very fortunate that
we let our instincts take over the situation. Moral
of the story, don't get into something that seems
like a good oportunity, and if you do, think about
backing out at the last minute. Don't worry about
offending people's feelings, bail out. Most good oportunities
come from your motivation to act on it, not someone
else's motivation to act on you. Be alert and stay
safe, MBKUDU"
Sorry - but how exactly was this a scam?
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| Peanuts, fruit and warm
towels |
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| Bryan Rilinger writes: "I was scammed
to a much lessor degree than some of the stories I have
seen here. I truly feel bad for the people that have
fallen folly to the gem scam. I have been touted to
a tailor, but I knew I wasn't going to buy anything,
the Tuk-tuk driver did feed me the usual story about
the "gas coupon" etc, and did drop me off several blocks
from where I asked to be. Just something little to look
out for: At Karoake bars (the real karaoke ones) will
often bring peanuts and fruit, warm towels, etc. to
your table. As a westerner, you may assume that these
are complementary items designed to keep you in the
establishment. THEY ARE NOT! They are usually outrageously
priced and even if you do not consume them, you are
charged for them. So if you are ever brought a plate
of fruit, tell them you do NOT WANT it, and send it
back. Else, you will end up paying 500 BHT for it." |
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| A bad experience on
my first day |
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Andy writes: "I was in bangkok for 5 days, from
the 23rd Dec to 27th Dec.. had a bad experience on
my first day there. Check into Novotel on Siam Sq.
at about 12noon. had an hour's rest before going out
to visit the grand palace. I flagged a taxi cab on
the main road of the hotel. Asked him to bring me
to grand palace and made sure he used the meter. He
said ok. Now, thats where my adventure begin. He began
telling me and my girlfriend about thailand, and his
wife working in my country, singapore. All along he
never thought that i know he was taking a long way
round Silom to get to the grand palace (i had a map)
i was telling myself, maybe he just wanted to earn
more, so i was fine with it. But then, half way during
the journey, he told me that the grand palace would
be closed soon.
The time was 2:30pm and i know that grand palace
closes at 3:30pm. So without my approval, he turn
off the meter (was about 70 baht on the meter)and
told me he would send me back to my hotel for 50 baht
only. He then drove me to a Gem shop or factory along
Rama VI road... i sensed a rat... and when we reached
there, luckily for me, he went to the toilet, and
i gave him the slip.
The next few days (all 5 days of my stay), i saw
this guy, the same taxi driver hanging around my hotel
(Novotel on siam sq.) waiting for other tourists to
prey on...he did came up to me and told me that i
didn't pay him on that day, but i didn't bother about
him. Last thing. never allow any driver or tuk tuk
rider to being u anywhere besides the place u wan
to go. on my second day, i took a tuk tuk from chinatown
to silom. I wanted to visit a seafood restuartant
along Pan Road. This tuk tuk driver reccmended me
a seafood market oppsite Lumpini park, behind the
suan lom night bazzar.
This place is not marked on my map. so i presummed
it was new. So i said ok, and he brought us there.
My girlfriend and i ordered 1 bbq lobster, 1 big crab
fried with chilli, 1 fresh steam garupa fish and a
plate of vegetables. its not very much, but when the
bill came. my god... 3920 baht WITHOUT 10% VAT...
i ended paying up about 4200 baht for my meal... for
2 persons...well...
Once bitten twice shy...
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| I got scammed! |
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| Bret writes: " I got scammed in 1999,
in Bangkok. I had just arrived in Thailand, and was
still suffering from jetlag. The scam artists can tell
when you are 'green' or just off the plane. He took
me in his tuk-tuk to a local tailor shop. I ended up
buying a tuxedo, which I have yet to wear, 4 years later.
It was over-priced, but at least, well made. Once I
realized my scam, I confronted the main tailor, who
was a European national. He said the tourist police
would do nothing to help me, since I agreed to buy the
suit. Now, after my 4th trip to Thailand, I will never
be scammed again." |
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| More on the jewelry
scam... |
| Provided by 'See'
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I got the same experience regarding the jewelry scam
as well. Both Tuk Tuk drivers came up with the same
story about once a year for 7 days sale tax free,
how this event came about because the government is
giving Thai students a chance to earn some money this
way instead of from heroin... blah blah blah. Anyway
I was shown to a few places on the first day but thanks
to the travel guides and your website, I was onto
them immediately. Both promised me 10b/hr and took
me to gem stores and tailors shops. The first one,
after prodding said he needed the coupon for petrol
and I had to spend 10 mins above in these shops. He
didn't bring me to the Marble temple but to some other
place with a small reclining Buddha where I met the
accomplice "coincidentally". I saw the Buddha from
the doorway and decided that I didn't want to go in.
The accomplice, who was going in in the first place,
did a turnaround and followed me, asking me questions
and finally telling me about the so-called famous
jewelry sale. The second one, after I told him about
the first Tuk Tuk driver (outside Wat Pho), changed
tactics by pretending he is government-licensed and
the first wasn't. I went along and halfway, he wanted
to show me some Wat with the happy Buddha and some
import-export place. I was really disappointed that
I got another Tuk Tuk driver like that. I decided
to get it all over with and said that he must bring
me to Chinatown after the so-called import-export
shop he's going to bring me to. Incidentally, it's
the same shop that the previous Tuk Tuk driver brought
me to yesterday. I didn't go in and guess what, he
dropped me off at least 2 streets away from Chinatown.
Being new, I didn't know where Chinatown is. The only
help I had was the map I got from the airport. Anyway,
these drivers dumped you the minute you outlived your
usefulness to them. Given a chance, I would recommend
taxis instead if you can afford them. They are a/c
and you can insist on the meter.
See
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| The Bangkok Gem Scam |
| Provided by The Thai
Gem Scam Group (thaigemscamgroup@yahoo.com) |
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| This scam has been working for over 20
years, and succeeds due to several factors: |
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1. Local authorities inability to deal with the
scam effectively
2. The complicated relationship between Thais and
"Farangs"
3. Tourists can't stay in the country to press charges
4. Tourists don't get to talk to one another and
share information
5. Everybody is greedy and wants to get rich quick
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| There are several excellent sites that
outline the process of the scam, but here is an overview
that includes warning signs to watch for so that you
recognize the scam. |
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| THE SET UP |
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| There are, in fact, two variations on
the scam, but both involve you paying far too much for
jewelry. The other one is where a Tuk Tuk driver simply
takes you to a gem shop (or tailor) and tells you to
look around for 10 minutes; he gets a free gas coupon
for each customer he brings in. This is simple and obvious,
and most people don't make a purchase in this case. |
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| The scam discussed on this page involves
"coincidental" meetings with "friendly" people. Because
of the coincidences and the friendliness of the people
involved, the victim's guard is let down, thus ensuring
the scam's success. |
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| The usual set up involves a tourist (or
tourists, as couples get targeted as well) walking out
of their hotel, on the street, near a tourist attraction,
and being approached by a friendly local. |
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| Thais, as a rule, do not approach foreigners
alone. This is the first warning sign. |
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| The person who approaches you will be
very friendly and ask where you are from, where you
are going, etc... perhaps identifying himself (herself)
as a guide, a student, a government employee, a Tuk
Tuk driver, etc.... Regardless of what you answer with
regards to your destination, he/she will give you some
reason as to why you can't go there. People going to
the Grand Palace or Wat Pho are commonly told that it
is closed for some holiday involving Buddha or the Royal
Family. |
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| The Grand Palace and Wat Pho are a main
attraction of Bangkok, one that provides a large amount
of revenue through admission fees. As such, they are
both open 365 days/year; why would they close? This
is the second warning sign. They both open at 8am and
the Grand Palace closes at 15:30pm while the Wat Pho
closes at 17:00pm. Note there is only one entrance for
the Grand Palace and that *parts* of the Grand Palace
may be closed for royal functions, but never the entire
complex. |
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| Never fear, however, your new "friend"
will tell you about another temple or Wat that is open.
They usually say that it is not normally open to the
public, it is just today. He/she usually also mentions
the Asian economic crisis, and how it is harder for
Thai students to pay for their studies abroad with the
devaluation of the Thai currency. Usually, there will
be a mention of how the government lets Thai students
sell one jewelry set a year, tax free, to help fund
their studies abroad. It may or may not be mentioned
that foreigners are allowed to participate in this scheme
once a year, in a bid to promote tourism. |
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| You are then told about the special Tuk
Tuks that take tourists around for a special rate, due
to the holiday. Usually this is 20 Baht/hour or something
like that, and they'll always tell you there are only
certain Tuk Tuks that do this. There are no government
or special Tuk Tuks. They are all privately owned. This
is the third warning sign. |
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| Your new friend may now choose a Tuk Tuk
for you (he has to in order to get his accomplice).
He will arrange things for you and send you off to this
other temple. |
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| In fact, there is nothing too special
about this temple, but it is quiet and deserted. The
Tuk Tuk driver will send you in, assuring you that he
will wait. Of course he will, he has to be the one to
take you to the gem store. |
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| You wander around the temple where you
will meet a second "friendly" local. He may approach
you, asking you questions or offering some advice; you
may approach him, because he dropped his keys and walked
away. In all cases, it is a casual, chance encounter,
with all the necessary friendliness and coincidence
to disarm your suspicions. He will identify himself
as a businessman, student, whatever he thinks will allay
your suspicions. |
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| This second person will ask various questions
about you and somehow steer the conversation back to
jewelry. They often get you to mention it, as you've
heard about it from the person you met earlier. Almost
always, they make no effort to sell to you; they drop
some hints that lead you to ask questions. You are made
to feel like you are lucky to know about this, or that
you would be foolish to miss out. They tell you that
foreigners are allowed to participate in this for only
a short time each year, and today is always the last
day. They even have a receipt showing that they just
bought jewelry that very day. |
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| The Thai government does not have a 195%
export tax on jewelry. Your own country's Customs, however,
does care about how much you import back into your country.
This is the fourth warning sign. |
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| Note that at this point, a foreigner might
join the conversation, if not at the temple, then at
the shop itself. The foreigner will assure you it is
all legitimate, that he/she uses it to pay for his trip
all the time. It may also be another local who tells
you they live abroad and come home once a year for this.
In either case, it adds to the legitimacy of the scam,
and adds to the number of "coincidences" that you encounter. |
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| By now you are curious. The Tuk Tuk driver
may take you to yet another temple, for yet another
"chance" meeting with someone who confirms the story.
Usually, you are now on your way to the gem store. This
is your last chance to save yourself from a very bad
experience. |
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| The gem store itself will make every
effort to look respectable. There will be staff in uniforms,
display cases, etc....but most shops will not have windows,
or else they are covered up. Officially recognized jewelry
stores should have a Jewelfest logo in plain view, although
this is not a guarantee. |
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| You will always be taken to a separate
room, not left in the main selling area. There will
be almost no other customers, and if there are, it will
be a foreigner again, who confirms the story and tells
you exactly what everyone else said. In this smaller
room, you are told the same story, shown a book with
photocopies of other passports of "customers", and assured
that you can get your money back under any circumstances. |
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| The transaction involves mailing the jewelry
back to you, or to whatever address you give them (parents,
Poste Restante in another country, etc...). The reason
for this is can vary, but usually it is because the
courier service ensures the goods against theft or loss. |
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| Your country's Customs treats goods imported
by you the same, regardless of whether they are with
you or were sent to you via the mail system. If this
is a tax-free purchase, they should not object to you
taking the jewelry with you. The use of the mail system
is essential in making this scam work. This is the fifth
warning sign. |
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| Most people do not have the cash with
them. The stores never have credit card machines so
those people wanting to pay via credit cards are told
the shop does not usually do business with the public,
so they have no credit card machine. Fear not, their
other store does sell to the public, so they will loan
you their car, driver and escort to that store to run
your credit card through the machine. This is a gold
store, where you are told you have to buy gold (for
whatever reason, inventory, tax purposes, etc...) and
take the gold with you. You will trade the gold for
the jewelry set. |
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| If you pay cash, they will give you their
car, driver and escort to take you to your ATM or wherever
else you need to go to get your cash. |
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| Back at the jewelry store, you get all
kinds of official looking receipts, they show you the
courier package they put the jewelry in, make you sign
the envelope once it's sealed to ensure no one tampers
with the package, and you've now overpaid for cheap,
though usually real, jewelry. |
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| As a sign of their gratitude, they will
always give your their car and driver and take you around
town, to a restaurant, tourist attractions, Thai massages,
etc...They do this to distract you and get your package
to the mail center as quickly as possible. If they can
get your package out of the country before you realize
you've been scammed, it will take you over a week to
get the gems back in your possession, giving them time
to close up shop and vanish forever. |
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| WARNING!
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| Provided by Morrisy
from Leicestershire, UK: |
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As you already have been told about Tuk Tuk drivers,
I'll tell you about my adventure. A fine young local
approached me outside the Grand Palace asking for
10 Baht to visit jewellery and clothes shops. Once
in the shops they try to sell you as much they can
- as much as you say 'no' they bombard you! I ended
up buying a suit. This was my first day in Bangkok
so I had them hold on to the suit until I had finished
travelling. When I arrived back in Bangkok I gave
a Tuk Tuk the address and agreed on a price to go
there. But en route he hassled about the fare - he
wanted to take me to two more shops and he got quite
angry when I wouldn't go.
DONT let Tuk Tuk drivers give you the sob story that
they are poor either. I bumped into some from Khao
San Road in a posh place on the other side of town.
DONT leave valuables in bags under the busses - I
had some jewellery pinched. They have a second driver
sleep in there as well.
Morrisy.
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Have you been scammed?
Let people know about so
they can avoid it!
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(Disclaimer
- the views and opinions stated above are representative
only of those who prepared the information. The views
stated do not necessarily represent those of www.khaosanroad.com's
owners or employees)
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