Thai Gem Scam
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The Thai Gem Scam is a confidence trick performed in Bangkok, Thailand. It has been alleged that this scam has been operating for the past 20 years, sometimes in the same premises. It has been suggested that individuals in the Royal Thai Police and even politicians protect this scam.
The scam
A network of touts and con men present the mark with an opportunity to profit from buying discount gems from a jewelry shop. The mark is convinced that he can buy gems at duty free price and bring them overseas for a three-fold or more profit. Through a network of helpers, each of whom tells the mark bits of information, the mark is guided to the jewelry shop.
- A tout will be on the lookout at popular tourist spots like the Royal Palace or temples in Bangkok. The tout will be dressed as a student or gentleman and will approach the mark to tell him the place he is about to visit is closed today because of some made-up holiday. The tout will also tell the mark that a certain tuk-tuk waiting nearby is free because it has been sponsored by the tourism ministry and can bring him to another temple elsewhere to visit. Sometimes this gentleman finds out which country the mark is from and informs the con man at the next layer about it.
- If the mark gets on the tuk-tuk, the driver will bring him to a secluded temple in the city and wait for him to return.
- When the mark walks into the temple, there will be a gentleman praying inside. That person will tell him about a scheme by the government which allows people to buy jewelry duty free and make a profit when the gems are shipped to their home country, adding that today is the last day of this scheme. If the mark is interested, the person will tell the tuk-tuk driver how to get to the jewelry store.
- At the shop the mark will buy the jewelry and go back to his home country, only to find the jewelry to be either fake or overvalued.
External links
- [2Bangkok.com - The Gem Scam]
- [intro-asia Gem and jewelry scam - Gem & jewellry scam -]
- [Thai Life: Scams]
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