Scam artists that abound around the world

Ten days ago I was sat in the bar at T3 Heathrow and enjoying a couple pints of Belgium’s finest sleeping draught in preparation for my flight to Singapore, when a scouse chap (judging by his accent) asked if the seat at my table was spare and I indicated it was.
The normal airport social etiquette then ensued, whereby as he was the guest at my table the onus was on him to start any conversation overtures, the most common of which in airports is “Where are you off to?” and that is what he asked.
“Singapore, back to work” I replied “What about yourself?”

“I am just off back to Thailand to see the wife because I think I have just been scammed out of 130,000 pounds”. 

Eyebrows raised, I said “ I work with, and have done for many years, lots of blokes who have married out in Thailand and sorry to say it is something I have heard before, to a greater or lesser degree”

“I don’t understand it, as she isn’t a bar girl or hooker or anything. She is in her 50s and nothing special to look at and even has her own hairdressing business which is where I met her when I went for a haircut”

I couldn’t help thinking that whilst possibly an honest description of his wife it didn’t sound very warm and loving, so asked “Do you live there full time ?”

“Off and on” he says “but I come back to the UK quite often for business and had left her to sort out the sale of the house. It is great place with its own grounds and pool, just outside of the city and in a good area. Had it built a few years ago but we fancied a change but lately the market has been a bit slack.”

“So why do you think you have been scammed then? Did you buy it under the Thai law where foreigners are not allowed to own property so it has to be in the name of a Thai and she has flogged the gaff while you were away and done a runner with the cash? 
I ask because I know at least half a dozen blokes who that sort of thing has happened to, although to be fair they were in the mostly bar girls with one being a brochure bride“

“Nah” he said “If only it were that simple. 
I think she might have been stitched up by the local mafia who have been pulling this stunt for a while. On the other hand my suspicion now is that she may have done it herself. Like I said it has been on the market for a while and we recently dropped the asking price from 150 to 130 as we are keen to move and have had no viewings. 
I was back in the UK and shortly after the price drop two couple s came within a week to look and were sort of interested making offers of about 100. She said no thanks as we had only just dropped from 150 and would wait.

Then a very well dressed young Chinese couple turned up and made a big fuss about how much they loved the place and how it was exactly what they wanted and then offered the full asking price as long as she agreed, there and then. He said he had the cash so they could cut out the agent and proceeded to show her a briefcase full of money, which he said had come from a recent successful business deal. 

They said they were keen for a quick decision, although they did have two other places they liked (but not as much as this one) so if she was unwilling they would settle for one of those because they had to return in the next 48 hours for a business meeting in China. 

She said that she needed to check with her husband and phoned me. When I spoke to her she seemed so sure that all was good and it was the asking price I said OK.

Unbeknown to me he had explained to her that he didn’t have all the money with him there as the rest was in the hotel safe (they said they were staying at the Plaza Deluxe Hotel, which was the best hotel in the area with room rates up into the big big bucks,) but they still wanted a decision now. She said that I had agreed and they said why don’t we take you to the hotel for a drink and dinner to celebrate and we can sort out the lawyer in the morning . 
She thought she would be silly to let a full asking price offer go by and perhaps a bit carried away wit the moment and excitement of making a sale she agreed to go to the hotel with them to celebrate the deal . They said they would send a car for her later as they had some more business to attend to and left with hand-shakes and smiles all round.

A taxi duly arrived in the evening and they met her in the hotel lobby took her to the bar and started to have a few drinks. 
A few drinks became a few more and then they suggested that they eat in nearby restaurant that they could recommend and half sloshed she readily agreed. The restaurant was OK and still the booze flowed”

I had been nodding in the appropriate places as he had told his story so far but he could see me frowning in response to the last bit where she is now drunk and I said “right” with that “are you sure about this” or “I can see where this is heading” type of tone. 

He said ‘Oh it gets worse mate, I can assure you”

“So she is well p!ssed by now and they suggest going to a nearby casino. These casinos are often illegal and set up by the local gangs mafia etc and are here today gone tomorrow type operations, which being a local she should know, but flushed with making a successful deal and well drunk she thought it would be a good idea, although she said she had no money for the casino. 
'That’s OK" he said "I will lend you a thousand and you can pay me out of the sale".

An hour or so goes by and the woman of the couple says she has a bad headache and has to go back to the hotel but the man says he is enjoying himself and will stay. So with the chap at her side covering her bets she wins a little bit and then starts losing a bit and then a bit more and an hour later she notices that the bloke has gone. 

She leaves the table and goes looking for him and as she is about to leave the goons on the door ask her where she is going as she owes them the equivalent of 4,000 she says the man she was with was covering her bets, to which they started to get very heavy and said “What man?? There is no man here. You must pay before you leave” 
Obviously she didn’t have that sort of money so they made her sign a document which is like a legally binding loan pledge common with these set ups in Thailand and comes at an interest rate that would make even the directors of Wonga or Payday Loans flinch at. As she was drunk and confused she didn’t question at the time how they had a document with her name address already on it. 

When she woke up and remembered what had happened she took a taxi to the hotel to see the man and get the money to pay off her debt, but when she asked the receptionist for the room number of name on the business card she was told that no- one of that name was checked in the hotel. 
She asked for the day before and the day before that and the answer was the same ‘no-one of that name had checked in or out’. 
She gave a description of the couple both well-dressed wealthy looking Chinese early thirties and the receptionist gestured around the opulent hotel lobby of the expensive hotel and she saw that nearly 50% of the clientele fitted the description.

Realising she had been duped and rather than phoning me, her husband, to explain, she drew out of her business all the money she had which just equaled the debt, but took nearly a week to get and, when she showed up at the backstreet casino was told that the debt and interest was now 12,000.

She was distraught (so she says) and obviously didn’t have access to that kind of money so tried to borrow from friends and family but by the time she had reached the figure the debt had trebled again and by the time she phoned me to explain what was going on the debt was equivalent to the value of the house and because she had signed the document it was only a matter of time before they claimed the deeds.

Because this is a mafia style scam you can’t go to the police because they would have been bought off (its Thailand and that’s how it works) so I am going out to see if there is anything I can do. It’s not the 130,000 grand that bothers me but the fact that I am now concerned she might be involved in it as well”

I asked if she had ever displayed signs of being a gold digger or thief before this event and did he have other money in UK or elsewhere etc

He replied that he had plenty to keep him going and although she had never shown any signs that she was just after him for money before, he just couldn’t be sure now.

Knowing many first hand stories of white boys being taken to the cleaners in Thailand I said “Well there is not much else you can other than trust her if you love her and try and move on as best you can, You won’t be able to take on the mafia because real life isn’t like a Bond or vigilante movie is it?” 

He said “I don’t know what to do, I can take the 130,000 loss but it’s the principle and that she might be involved that I can’t get to grips with and I don’t know if I can ever trust her again. I am going down and will be staying in the house until hopefully we can sort something out or until we get thrown out. 
I will go to the police and report it but they have a document that is legal despite how it was obtained and I don’t have enough to bribe the police against the mafia and they also know I am not going to kill them or maim their children if they don’t do my bidding ” 

“Do you think she will be there to meet you at the airport” I asked

“I would like to think so but until I get there I wont know”

Noticing the time and my empty glass I said 
“I have to go and get my flight, I would wish you a happy Christmas but you might think I was taking the p!ss so good luck whatever happens mate and I hope it turns out well for you both.”

“Yeah” he said wearily ”Me too”

There will be more added to this in day or so