Phuket Foreigners Losing Homes To Con Men

[Beetlejuice 5,710]

Looking at this from another angle, I’m not certain that an actual crime has been committed here?

The woman was quite willing with all intent to cheat someone out of a lot of money.

So she knowingly became involved in some card game for high stakes at her own free will believing that she was going to walk away from the scam a lot richer.

The only crime that I can see was committed here, is that gambling is illegal in Thailand, so in fact as a participant of this card game, the woman was also breaking the law.

As for the money, the woman took a gamble and lost, so I cannot understand how she has any legal claims for the return of her money.

If for example the group did manage to cheat the wealthy guy, I am sure that this alleged victim would not have given a rat’s behind about the man and nothing else would have been said about this event. She would now have been counting her ill-gotten gains with great delight.

What goes around, comes around and in this case has snacked her right back in the face.

Serves her bladdy well right, she deserved everything she got.

[freedom4life 353]

Greed on the part of both parties...

[housepainter 32]

If you believe any of that rubbish you want your brains examining.

It reads like a story. A childish poorly written one at that.

But why do they print such trash, write such rubbish, think that farangs would believe such a thinly disguised piece of juvenile fiction?

Scams there certainly are but codswallop about simply non-credible gullibility and belief that a seven year old would reject is an insult to the intelligence.

Reject.

Next.

[HaleySabai 551]

I got caught up in a similar 'poker-scam' in Penang many years ago when I was young and naive, lucky for me I saw through it and got out before the "sinker". These scammers can be extremely slick and apply all the psychological tricks in the book to create a very charged and convincing atmosphere that plays upon the basic 'greed' impulse of the individual.

Even after I got away from the people I was still 2nd guessing if it was a "real" opportunity or a scam.... until I related the story to a guy I met from New York who then looked at me with crossed-eyes and said "man, have you not seen the movie 'The Sting'...geeze!

[namoi 188]

what a load of crap and we are commenting on it, i must find a real life or maybe see if there is an Hop Harringon comic to read.............

[Sailfish1 13]

Many years ago, I met some filipino people in bangkok. They seemed like nice people and they invited me to their house for dinner. They then proceeded to try and con me into playing a card game to cheat some "rich lady" out of her money. They showed me how to play and how they were going to cheat this "rich lady" by signaling me to tell me what cards this "rich lady" had. Of course, I had to put up my own money to play. Hahahaha! I could see that they were up to no good. So, I told them I had some place to go and LEFT! I had to be careful and watch my back - fortunately they did not try anything. I told them I am alerting the police of this but I never did because I could never prove any of it.

Bottom line - Always be cautious when dealing with strangers. If anything seems suspicious, get out of there.

[thaiIand 71]

btw this scam has been in those lonelyplanet books for a bunch of years.. its right up there with the nigerian scam.. Have to be a thief or a midwest american old housewife to get caught in it

[rakman 237]

There's only one thing to say: You cannot con an honest person.

My GF would run away from them. She's quite intelligent, honest and values what little money she earns.

[SirDougless 6]

Many years ago, I met some filipino people in bangkok. They seemed like nice people and they invited me to their house for dinner. They then proceeded to try and con me into playing a card game to cheat some "rich lady" out of her money. They showed me how to play and how they were going to cheat this "rich lady" by signaling me to tell me what cards this "rich lady" had. Of course, I had to put up my own money to play. Hahahaha! I could see that they were up to no good. So, I told them I had some place to go and LEFT! I had to be careful and watch my back - fortunately they did not try anything. I told them I am alerting the police of this but I never did because I could never prove any of it.

Bottom line - Always be cautious when dealing with strangers. If anything seems suspicious, get out of there.

Same thing happened to me in Bangkok in 1983, although these were Thai. I soon realised I was the target, said gambling was against my religion and left. They are very good at befriending naive travellers (my first trip to Thailand). The guy said he was the Immigration guy that stamped my passport (may have been but then they all looked the same to me ). Over a soft drink he explained that his daughter wanted to nurse in Australia, wanted my advice, yada yada. Next thing I was at his place in suburbia for dinner, then the cards came out. Had to make my own way back to the city.

[Markaew 533]

Why do you think foreigners cannot own property? So their assets can easily be stripped away. This is clearly acceptable behavior (scams) all the way to the national level where laws are made. If the man had owned his own house this would not have happened.

[DonaldBattles 1,020]

Any fool that puts his property in the name of another deserves this kind of treatment. Thai wives are board with their farang husbands and they take up gambling. How many times have you heard of a wife destroying the stupid farang husband?

[philisok 0]

Such a fool, so many scammers out there and so many still being cheated out of their money.

Sadly quite often is greed on the part of the victim, thinking they are going to make easy money.

[anterian 2,875]

My houses, I have two, are both on 30 year registered leases in my name, although ownership is with my partner. However the leases stay with me and travel with me when I return home. I trust my partner but not her intelligence

[NanaFoods 38]

So evil.... this gang has really put some thought into this. Perhaps someone in the gang is trained in psychology.

Playing on basic greed and blurring the lines of moral judgement by controlling the situation ("the guy is rich and will lose money anyway... why not to you?"), perhaps even using drugs (in the water) help ensure the "mark's" judgement is adequately blurred. They may have even studied their marks' behavior and history for some time before moving forward.

Either way, it's definitely creepy.

[sandgroper2 718]

I believe this tactic is known as the "fan tan" but I am not really sure;

I was once put into the same position but I was not fleeced becos I was not greedy lol

The same scam was tried on me on Bali, didnt take them up on the "fantastic " offer of easy money.