phiketpete Posted November 1, 2002 Report Share Posted November 1, 2002 From todays Bangkok Post Phuket _ Police have arrested two Liberians over a scam in which they duped their victims into forking out extortionate sums for bottles of ink they claimed could turn pieces of paper into US dollar bills. Sleweon Friday Emmanuel, 29 and Camara Malam, 33, were charged with fraud after being arrested while demonstrating the effects of the ink to a group of tourists. Provincial police chief Pol Maj-Gen Khongpol Suwanrak said many foreign visitors had fallen prey to the suspects. Shouldn't the police be looking for whoever has performed the lobotomy on the tourists Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lazyphil Posted November 2, 2002 Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 <<Phuket _ Police have arrested two Liberians over a scam in which they duped their victims into forking out extortionate sums for bottles of ink they claimed could turn pieces of paper into US dollar bills>> :: I find this impossible to believe :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 2, 2002 Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 the funny thing is that this scam must have been working for years. the should not arrest the scamartists, but the guys stupid enough to fall for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phiketpete Posted November 2, 2002 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 I understand people falling for the gem scam --- pure greed they believe that they are putting one over on the thais and then find the position is actually the reverse, but ink + paper = dollar bills and available on the street corner - shit. Perhaps we need to come up with an 'export quality' stamp on the foreheads for such tourists. It makes you wonder how else they have been duped , scammed without even realising it during their time away from home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danish30 Posted November 2, 2002 Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 This sounds like an old scam that's been going on for quite some years now. Although if the scam is the same then the police/bkkpost missed the point of the scam. Usually it would be performed by a couple of guys with a suitcase full of black pieces of paper the size of dollar bills. Some of them actually being real bills. Now they will explain to their victim that the money is colored black for safety when traveling with large sums of money and the black ink can be removed easily using a special liquid they have to purchase from the American or other embassy. Now their problem is that the embassy require a deposit (heard around $us 10,000 or more in previous cases of this scam) and they don't have that kind of money with them, so they offer the victim a large sum if they can lend the money to them, of course leaving all the black colored "money" in the possession of the victim as security...... I think this explains better than the "ink can turn paper into money" explanation given. Best regards, Danish30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phiketpete Posted November 2, 2002 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 OK, sounds more plausible and we are back to the usual reason the scam works -- Greed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted November 2, 2002 Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 I know a long time expat who fell for it. the funny thing is, he is himself some kind of a scam artist. Full circle... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 2, 2002 Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 I heard a different version of the scam,closer to the paper's version but where again the sucker exchanges a pack of real dollars against one of black(I think) papers.A mate used to boast about the money he made with that scam.He was working with black africans and has been deported since but for different troubles. Yes some guys are so dum with their money they really don't deserve to keep it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted November 2, 2002 Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 "...the funny thing is that this scam must have been working for years. the should not arrest the scamartists, but the guys stupid enough to fall for it..." There has to be a way to keep the most simple of idiots from breeding... I will go back to a question I asked a while ago, how do these Liyberians etc... get into the country in the first place? I am some what perplexed by this. They are from a relatively poor country, yet can go there and operate in this manner with little or no problem it seems. I understand the practice of "tea money" but this just seems rediculis... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted November 2, 2002 Report Share Posted November 2, 2002 Speaking of scams, I got the following email the other day... OFFICE OF:EGNR. NASSIRU AHMED. FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS AND HOUSING FEDERAL SECRETARIAT OFFICE COMPLEX IKOYI-LAGOS. Dear Sir, First, I must solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue of it’s nature as being utterly confidential and top secret as you were introduced to me in confidence through the Nigeria Chamber of Commerce and Industries. We are top officials from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing,(FMW&H), Federal Ministry of Finance and the Presidency, making up the Contract Review Panel(CRP) set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria to review contracts awarded by the past military administration. In the course of our work on the CRP, we discovered this fund which resulted from grossly over - invoiced contracts which were executed for the FMW&H during the last administration.The companies that executed the contracts have been duly paid and the contracts commissioned leaving the sum of US$21.4 Million floating in the escrow account of the Central Bank of Nigeria ready for payment. I have therefore been mandated as a matter of trust by my colleagues in the panel to look for an overseas partner to whom we could transfer the sum of US21.4 legally subcontracting the entitlement to your company. This is bearing in mind that our civil service code of conduct forbids us from owning foreign companies or operating foreign accounts while in government service, hence the need for an overseas partner. We have agreed that the funds will be shared thus after it has been paid into your account. (1) 30% of the money will go to you for acting as the beneficiary of the fund. (2) 10% has been set aside as an abstract projection for reimbursement to both parties for incidental expences that may be incurred in the course of the transaction. (3) 60% to us the government officials (with which we intend to commence an importation business in conjunction with you) All logistics are in place and all modalities worked out for the smooth conclusion of the transaction within ten to fourteen days of commencement after receipt of the following information; your full names, company's name, address,details & activities, telephone & fax numbers. These information will enable us make the applications and lodge claims to the concerned ministries & agencies in favour of your company and it is pertinent to state here that this transaction is entirely based on trust as the solar bank draft or certified cheque drawable in any of the Central Bank of Nigeria correspondent bankers around the world is going to be made in your name. Please acknowledge the reciept of this letter using the above e-mail or this alternative nassiruahmed@mail.com to reply me. Yours faithfully, Egnr. Nassiru Ahmed. NB:Bank Account Details not necessary as preferred mode of payment is by draft or cheque. I am tempted to set up a bogus hotmail account and fuck with this guy...But I guess they make money, or else they wouldn't do it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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