News Forum - Scam bam thank you mam! Thai PBS anchor scammed out of 1 million baht.

[Thaiger]

A Thai PBS TV anchor is the latest high-profile victim of phone scammers in Thailand. Thai PBS is a government-owned public broadcaster. Pattima Komolbawonkul posted on her Facebook that she had lost 1 million baht through a phone scam. She claims that the scammer posed as a Thai police officer from the Ranong police (just north of Phang Nga province). The person contacted her and claimed she was implicated in a “national-level money-laundering investigation”. The scammer was pretending to be a high-ranked Thai police officer in the southern province or Ranong. “I told the crook that I have never been […]

The story Scam bam thank you mam! Thai PBS anchor scammed out of 1 million baht. as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Fanta]

She mustn’t pay much attention to the news she reads daily. 

[Ramanathan.P]

The question is...if she did not do any illegal activity, why should she compromise with the scammer. It seems like the scammer had done a detailed background check about her before targeting her. And he might have found out out some loopholes through which he can fish her. She should have just disconnected the call and let the authorities send her any relevant notice legally if she is innocent.......I smell fishy.

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

22 minutes ago, Ramanathan.P said:

The question is...if she did not do any illegal activity, why should she compromise with the scammer. It seems like the scammer had done a detailed background check about her before targeting her. And he might have found out out some loopholes through which he can fish her. She should have just disconnected the call and let the authorities send her any relevant notice legally if she is innocent.......I smell fishy.

Exactly! Last year I received a phone call saying that I was going to be arrested on an outstanding warrant if I didn't wire $1000 usd. They said police would be at my house in an hour. I told them to bring a coffee and a donut and I would pay them back. Click!

[Donald]

Obviously she is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Someone in her position should have more common sense then fall for such an obvious scam.

[Bluesofa]

13 minutes ago, Lawyers_Guns_and_Money said:

Exactly! Last year I received a phone call saying that I was going to be arrested on an outstanding warrant if I didn't wire $1000 usd. They said police would be at my house in an hour. I told them to bring a coffee and a donut and I would pay them back. Click!

I regularly receive similar calls, but from an automated system asking me to press 1 to connect to the police, 2 to connect to the court. Obviously I press nothing and cancel the call.

I think I've had about six calls in the past two months. Must be my guilty face.

[Guevara]

2 hours ago, Bluesofa said:

I regularly receive similar calls, but from an automated system asking me to press 1 to connect to the police, 2 to connect to the court. Obviously I press nothing and cancel the call.

I think I've had about six calls in the past two months. Must be my guilty face.

You are getting off light, I average 5-6 weekly, usually from automated AMAZON.

[Chatogaster]

9 hours ago, Thaiger said:

WARNING: Be aware of increasingly sophisticated and elaborate scams, especially anything on the phone or online. DO NOT transfer money under any circumstances unless you can corroborate the conversations or IDs.

 

I'm a bit put off by the condition in that warning.

Superficially, almost nothing in this article makes sense (for example, I find it completely mindboggling that anybody sound of mind could be made to believe - even for a second - that a bank transfer enables identifying prior sources). However (less superficially), fear and panic can completely override common sense in some people.

Within the context of the article, the condition to be able (how?) to "corroborate the conversations or IDs" as a condition for transferring money under pressure just about nullifies the warning. Plainly put: if an unknown "official" (corroborated or not) calls you out-of-the-blue to demand you transfer money, DON'T!

 

[Soidog]

8 hours ago, Donald said:

Someone in her position should have more common sense

Common sense! The rarest of all senses. There is a larger quantity of Fish & Chip shops in Thailand. 

[HolyCowCm]

She's cute. 

[Guest1]

42 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

She's cute. 

Probably that is why she has the job. Reading the story, it can't be something else, methinks.

[HolyCowCm]

8 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Probably that is why she has the job. Reading the story, it can't be something else, methinks.

Your saying it's not one of the two B's? Beauty or Brains? 

[Guest1]

Cute is equivalent to the first B, but the sec. B: 

 

 

[riclag]

Cant tell you how many times I told the IRS  and FBI ,over the phone ,to kiss off ! 
Im still here and so is my money! 

[Benroon]

Lucky lady she doesn't live in the UK where last year it is estimated in baht, deep breaths, scams accounted for 1,364,000,000 (that's billions folks) - but wait surely not in the advanced west right ?

Numbers from Actionfraud, a truly hopeless outfit (based on personal experience) which means the even more hopeless UK police force can do even less work than their current rate of not doing a lot of work at all.

[Marc26]

2 hours ago, Benroon said:

Lucky lady she doesn't live in the UK where last year it is estimated in baht, deep breaths, scams accounted for 1,364,000,000 (that's billions folks) - but wait surely not in the advanced west right ?

Numbers from Actionfraud, a truly hopeless outfit (based on personal experience) which means the even more hopeless UK police force can do even less work than their current rate of not doing a lot of work at all.

But in the West, you get your money back fairly certain and in a timely manner, if it is bank fraud

Not so at all in Thailand............many times it seems your bank is working against you, not actually helping you get your money back

[Marc26]

13 hours ago, Ramanathan.P said:

The question is...if she did not do any illegal activity, why should she compromise with the scammer. It seems like the scammer had done a detailed background check about her before targeting her. And he might have found out out some loopholes through which he can fish her. She should have just disconnected the call and let the authorities send her any relevant notice legally if she is innocent.......I smell fishy.

She's involved in something, I guarantee it.............