10 common scams in Thailand

[reader]

From Pattaya News

One of the most common emails and complaints we get to our news desk is about scams or people who have been taken advantage of by a scam.

We have written recently about an alleged regular scam involving miracle cures and herbal products in Pattaya that have led to hundreds of complaints and police reports and multiple raids and arrests over the past few months, including this recent situation.

Now, let’s take a general look, presented by our legal sponsors at Anglo Siam Legal, of common scams in Thailand.

1. Online Dating Scams – Scammers create fake profiles on dating sites or social media, pretending to be interested in a relationship. They might ask for money for various reasons like traveling to meet you or dealing with personal emergencies. When money is given , they usually block or remove their profile. Particularly targeted in Thailand are middle-aged Thai women, often with pictures of young, handsome men pretending to be pilots, doctors, or military.

2. Phishing Emails – These scams involve emails that look like they come from legitimate sources like banks or service providers, tricking individuals into providing personal information or clicking on malicious links. Scammers pretending to be government officials or police are also common.

3. Fake Investment Scams – Scammers promise high returns on investments, often in cryptocurrencies, forex trading, or pyramid schemes. They might show fake profits to lure more investment before disappearing with the funds. Recently, the Icon Group scam dominated headlines as we discussed here.

4. E-commerce Scams – Products are advertised online at very low prices, but once payment is made, the buyer receives nothing or receives counterfeit goods. An example includes ordering expensive electronics like iPhones or Playstations and receiving rocks or fake items instead. These scams are widespread on places like user marketplaces, groups, and social media. Buyers should always insist only to pay upon delivery and after inspecting the package in person. It is advised to never pay a deposit or money upfront before getting a product from individual buyers. It is a massive red flag if the seller insists not to meet before payment or before inspecting the product in person.

5. Advance Fee Fraud – This includes scams where victims are promised rewards or services but must pay upfront fees or deposits, after which the scammer vanishes. These are often called processing or administrative fees by the scammer with promises to in return give the victim huge benefits.

6. Rental and Real Estate Scams – Listings for rentals or properties are posted with attractive prices, but upon payment of a deposit or fee, the property does not exist or is already occupied. In Pattaya, scams around renting villas that aren’t available are common, usually on social media groups. Buyers should use reputable companies for booking property and not book through random individual social media users.

7. Lottery or Prize Scams – Notifications about winning a lottery or prize that you didn’t enter, requiring payment of taxes or fees to claim the prize which never arrives.

8. Charity Fraud – Scammers exploit natural disasters or crises by setting up fake charity collections, promising to help those affected but pocketing the donations. There are many legitimate charity organizations in Thailand, giving to the organization or center directly versus through a third party is always advised.

9. Tech Support Scams – Fake tech support representatives contact individuals claiming there’s a problem with their computer, leading them to install malware or share payment details for unnecessary services.

10. Loan Scams- Offers of easy loans with no collateral or credit check often require an upfront processing fee, after which the loan never materializes.

[thaiophilus]

Nothing in that list is remotely specific to Thailand. These, on the other hand:

The palace/temple is closed today but the government is running a special promotion, today only, for just 10 baht this special tuktuk will take you to the Temple of the Lucky Buddha...

You can buy these gemstones for a bargain price and sell them for a profit back home. We'll handle packaging and shipping...

You want to pay by credit card? No problem. You use it to buy gold at the shop next door, then pay for your gems with the gold.