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 Post subject: Awful scam in Thailand.
PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2011 4:55 am 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 4:21 am
Posts: 3
I live in Thailand with my wife of seven years. I have a good job working as a teacher at a well respected private school.

About a year ago my wife and I moved to a house in a nearby private housing estate.

All was fine an the old lady from across the street was very friendly. Cooking the odd meal for us etc. My wife's sister suffered a brain tumor and was left in a vegetative state at the age of 27. We took care of her at home and hired a private nurse to care for her 24/7 until she was able to travel home by ambulance 6 months later. The old lady helped care for my wife's sister (moving her/mopping her brow etc) for free if the nurse was eating or shopping. This meant she gained everyone's trust.

After she had known my wife for about a year she came up with a job idea for my wife.
Basically, she claimed her daughter and niece worked in the UK and that she could get jobs for Thais in both the UK and Italy.

The jobs were in factories and health centers. People interested would pay around 200 US dollars and she would sort the paperwork and the companies in the UK would pay for the flights/visas etc. The companies would take back the money owed from the clients wages once working in the UK/Italy.

I didn't like the sound of it from the start, but I had my wife and many potential customers (including the nurse) telling me it was not a scam and that I don't understand 'The Thai way'.

The old lady has live in the same house across the road for 7 years according to locals so I thought 'well if she's a con she'd be in jail or dead or would've moved. surely'. So even I stopped worrying.

Until my wife pointed out that ALL the money sent from many people wanting to go and live in the UK/Italy was sent to HER account!

I really wasn't happy with this and the money had also been withdrawn. I thought only her 'wages' were sent from the old lady's account not the full amount from each 'customer'. My wife gave most of the money (cash from my wife's account) to the old lady and was given a small cut as wages.

Fortunately, I smelt a rat. I made my wife video conversations with her (hidden camera). In the videos the old hag is guaranteeing jobs despite my wife shouting for proof of address and that she doesn't believe her etc. The old hag even interviews potential customers in the video (we already told them it was probably a scam but they went along with it). She admits how much cash she takes, how much my wife gets and that she is the boss and my wife just works for her. She is going on and on about 100% that you all have a job.

After the scam was revealed she admitted on camera (all hidden camera footage I must add) that she has done this many times and was basically laughing. Sociopath much?

The police here have been no help so far...they even said they'd lock up my wife as 'she is number 1...she got the money'. They are not interested in the video or other people's testimony supporting my wife(actual 'customers'). Most victims do not want to get involved but about 10 will help her (they have all spoken to the old hag and know she is the boss and the videos pretty much prove what has happened...we have about 9 videos total running time about 3 hours).

I've got a lawyer (I know good money after bad) but what can we do?

I think she'll have to pay it all back (despite the fact she only got a small amount in 'wages') and then we'll go after the old hag.

Not sure what to do really. A real mess.

Is it legal to disgrace her on youtube/TV (one victim works for the national TV station and they want to run the story any time my wife wants to) once the money is paid back?
Any advice?


I'm not for the death penalty but sociopaths like this should be put down.


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 Post subject: Re: Awful scam in Thailand.
PostPosted: Tue May 10, 2011 12:05 pm 
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Site Admin/Co-Founder

Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 10:09 pm
Posts: 2921
furious wrote:
one victim works for the national TV station and they want to run the story any time my wife wants to) once the money is paid back?


I was going to suggest contacting an Investigative Reporter . . . Chris Hanson . . . To Catch a Con-Woman

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 Post subject: Re: Awful scam in Thailand.
PostPosted: Wed May 11, 2011 6:19 am 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 4:21 am
Posts: 3
Admin. Thanks for the reply.

The lawyer has said it's going to be really complicated and he needs a week to review the law on video evidence etc. He'll see my wife next week at some point. He does feel she has a very strong case but needs to take great care so my wife doesn't get into trouble.

Been looking up the law (can only find US law) on video evidence. Seems confusing. Obviously could be very different here.

The footage is excellent quality. Shows the scammer enter our house, sit down, talk and leave. You can clearly see it's her it's almost TV quality picture/sound. There are 9 videos in total varying in length from a few minutes to over 40 minutes. Some have picture and sound. A few are sound only as they were 'shot' from inside a bag in the old ladies house. I think one of the sound only ones was shot in our house. My wife didn't have time to set the camera as she was coming without warning. Some videos are my wife an the scammer only. I feel these are important as they show my wife is concerned that it may be a scam which the scammer continually denies. The scammer also reveals how much money she takes (pretty much all of it). A handover of a clients cash is also shown. She (scammer of course) takes the money.

Some videos are of potential clients (they knew about the camera as my wife told them of her suspicions). The scammer is promising jobs 100% for everyone.

One video (sound only but excellent quality) shows the old lady as the scam is revealed. Clients tell her they'll call the police. The scammer admits she has taken the money and will return it to everyone if they don't call the police. The scammer's daughter also admits her mum has done this before and is ashamed and sorry and that all the cash will be paid back. Soon after another daughter returns (possibly from a lawyer's office in my opinion) and speaks to her mum and sister. The scammer changes her tune. Says she never took any money and to call the police if we like. Says she has used this scam several times and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Police called. Wife and clients put in a complaint. Police tell my wife to leave as they would have to arrest her first as she got the money. When the name of the scammer is given to the police they look at the heavens and say 'How much this time?'. Obviously, they know about her.

A strong piece of evidence could be the nurse. She was the first customer and gave cash (from her hand to the scammer's hand) to the old hag. She received her 'papers' few days later. That's another big thing. She got her daughter, who works at a university to provide certificates for qualifications. Thing is no course was done! This started some alarm bells. The daughter either..a. Printed them off without the Uni's knowledge or b. The Uni were fully aware of this. The OWNER of the Uni has signed these certificates! He has suggested the police be called if we feel a crime has been committed.


just hope she can use the video evidence. The digi camera only had a 2GIG memory card.After one or two movies of the hag it was full. So it was transfered to PC, the footage on the camera memory card deleted so new footage of the scammer(s) could be shot.

With the video evidence and witness testimony (all those duped believe my wife is innocent and the old hag and her daughter(s) are guilty as hell) I just hope and pray justice is done.


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 Post subject: Re: Awful scam in Thailand.
PostPosted: Fri May 13, 2011 3:38 pm 
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Site Admin/Co-Founder

Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 10:09 pm
Posts: 2921
If you post her name or the name of the company that this lady said the job was with on this site, it will then become searchable by Google, so if someone else was to try and check her out by doing a Google search they may just find your post.

_________________
Shawn Mosch
Co-Founder of http://ScamVictimsUnited.com
There is strength in numbers!

Share your story with the media and educate others about scams! Details here http://scamvictimsunited.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=6319
Sign our petition http://www.change.org/actions/view/crea ... s_programs
Follow our blog http://scamvictimsunited.wordpress.com/
Find us on Twitter, Facebook and more http://www.retaggr.com/page/ShawnMosch
_______________________________________________
Has this site helped you?
Buy us a coffee to say thanks ~ http://www.scamvictimsunited.com/donations.htm


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