The Card Game Scam:

Replies: 10 - Last Post: 15-Nov-2004 08:37 Last Post By: hankrearden

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Anil

23-May-2004 09:45
Posts: 54

The Card Game Scam:

I find it hard to believe that people fell for this but they do. I known a few people who felled for it some lose lots of money.

Taken from http://www.thailandexplorer.com/preflt-ripoffs.shtml and http://www.thaiconsulate.sk/en/tourism.htm

The Card Game Scam: This is often run by Philippinos or Pakistanis, but there have been cases of Thais running the scam too. They generally hunt at the top end of Silom Road or in Sukhumvit Road. You will be approached by a very well dressed man or woman who will make some sort of excuse to talk to you. They often start by asking where you come from, and if you speak English they may ask if they can walk with you to practice their English. After they have established a 'friendly' rapport with you, they will eventually get around to asking you to accompany them for a friendly game of cards. If you go, you will get into a game with a group of supposed strangers. You will win and lose a few games, but suddenly you will be dealt an unbeatable hand; a Royal Flush. The bidding will go up and up until the pot becomes very attractive. Once you run out of money to bet, they will encourage you to go to the bank to get more money while you leave your hand with someone not in the game. Once you get back everyone will be gone, and your money with them.
Advice: The best thing to do is not speak to any strangers, but if you can't get rid of them head down the road and find the nearest tourist policeman and lodge a complaint. Once they see you heading for a policeman they will disappear faster than lightning.

________________________________________

Card playing scam

The scam begins with a friendly stranger or recent acquaintances showing you tricks on how you can win big at a card game. You are then taken to where the game is played and it will begin innocently and friendly at first. You win some and lose a few hands until things get more serious and you are “loaned” money by one of the players to continue the game. Sooner or later you will lose all the money, and you must pay back the money you have been “loaned” to. Most tourists who fall for card playing scam end up losing everything.

The forecast today is dark and cloudy with a possibility of a drive-by.

englishcharlie

23-May-2004 23:35
Posts: 7

I was walking down Silom and this smartly dressed guy asked where I came from and could he walk with me to practice his english. I firstly shurggued him off rather abruptly,then i bumped into him again. I thought Id just see what he wanted...mainly out of curiosity rather than anything else. Then he asked if id buy him a coca-cola and if we could go sit somewhere...so i gave him the big eff-off =D

Life's a bitch; be its pimp...ya dig?

khunjimbo

24-May-2004 04:47
Posts: 662

The other stupid scam is the fortune-telling b.s. Usually an Indian or Sikh guy who tells you what a wise person you look like. Be wise enough to tell him to buzz off.

You hurt my feelings...both of 'em!

toddadams

24-May-2004 09:20
Posts: 190

Honestly, I don't know who travels to Thailand (especially Bangkok) without being aware of the usual scams. It's as much a part of the preparation as looking up bus routes and nearby restaurants.

Travelogues - Ireland, Italy, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Peru (incl. The Inca Trail in pictures)
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Take the time to talk to people who can't possibly offer you anything and you'll be amazed at how much you gain.

Sonata

24-May-2004 15:04
Posts: 9

>>Usually an Indian or Sikh guy who tells you what a wise person you look like

"Hey you. you have lucky face...you know why?"

I watched one of them,and EVERYBODY he spoke to seemed to have a lucky face. Fine until i saw one young naieve guy's ears prick up and become interested. Those Sikhs ran out of suckers on Paraghanj and Connaught Place in Delhi, and must of decided to try their luck at places like Ko San Rd. Fresh meat i guess. In regard to all these Thailand scams, the easy and Common Sense to remember when somebody approaches you out of the blue and says - "You can make big money fast" is "Why is'nt this fella HIMSELF rolling in that money then?". There are Fillipinos around the budget areas of Hong Kong (Kowloon more specifically) who do similar things. Being an open and friendly guy, i'll at least speak to people who approach me, and give them due respect until i guess what they're up to. But EVERY Fillipino i spoke to in Hong Kong, turned out to be a wanker trying to insult my intelligence by turning the conversation into "Making big money, you and I on Casino ship". Yes, yes, yes, utter Bollocks, and stop wasting my time. They all talk big money, but why are they sharing a room with three beds in it, buying rice meals and living in dilapitated buildings?. When you look at all this, it's all common sense really. If the one telling you this, has spare time to go out talking to people about money opportunities, then obviously they dont have any money themselves

roamer

24-May-2004 16:35
Posts: 22

They work this scam better in KL..friend of mine went along purely out of professional curiousity (former croupier and pit boss) To his experienced eye he found the dealing amaturish in the extreme but he also pointed out that the initial "contact" was a drop dead gorgeous girl.....thats how to catch em.

Slow down.
Only a horse can run and shit at the same time.

thaigemscamgroup

24-May-2004 19:09
Posts: 3

"when somebody approaches you out of the blue and says - "You can make big money fast" is "Why is'nt this fella HIMSELF rolling in that money then?".

The Thai Gem Scam uses well-dressed professionals who speak very good English. They furnish receipts showing their "purchases", flash nice jewelry and often have nice cars as props. It's a confidence game, and with Thailand constantly promoted as the land of smiles (and honest Buddhists, every one of them), the confidence is a lot easier near the Grand Palace, than at Trafalgar Square.

Gems in Bangkok? Learn more at www.geocities.com/thaigemscamgroup

Anil

25-May-2004 02:09
Posts: 54

what I don't like about 'thaigemscampeople' is that they make it sound like the victims of the scams are not at fault.

The forecast today is dark and cloudy with a possibility of a drive-by.

Anil

25-May-2004 02:12
Posts: 54

oops what I meant to say was 'victim are not at fault, and victim's greed doesn't play any part at all.'

The forecast today is dark and cloudy with a possibility of a drive-by.

kevin_small

25-May-2004 04:52
Posts: 7

I am a 20 something Australian guy with hair that is stupidly blonde due to the effects of the sun.. In Thailand, it seems that this blonde hair is a magnet to anyone who want to know where I bought my shoes, got my necklace or purchased my glasses.. In each instance it is amaising how they seem to have a relative (living in/moving to/wanting to visit) my country and speak perfect english.. In each of unrelated incidents (nearly 10 now) I have shrugged off the people concerned (varying in apearance from middle aged men to motherly types) but one of these days I will go along with it just to see where they want to take me...

Often they wont take "no i dont need you to show me around" for an answer but telling them you are meeting a friend always seems to do the trick.... I once told one of these guys that I had to rush because I was off to play cards with a new thia friend of mine, they stuttered a little then left in a hurry.

hankrearden

15-Nov-2004 08:37
Posts: 96

I recently encountered the "Did you know that you're a lucky man?" Sikh on Suhhumvit near Nana. When I'm offered fortune telling services, I simply tell them that if they were good fortune tellers, they should already know, without having to ask me, that I'm not interested in using their services. Furthermore, if there skills were what they purport them to be, they could get rich in the stock market and not have to spend their time standing on a hot, dirty Bangkok streetcorner. I mean, that's what I would do if I could predict the future!

My greatest skill has been to want but little. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862)

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