Beware of Filipino scammers in Phnom Penh
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You made all that up, didn't you?
I know I'm unloveable. You don't have to tell me. I don't have much in my life, but take it - it's yours.
hey, hey, hey... settle down.This Charming Man wrote:You made all that up, didn't you?
did i mention the Brunei Prince who came waltzing into the room with a suitcase full of cash that he was simply dying to play with..
I sometimes wonder if those rocks on his fingers where real diamonds or not... hmmmmmmmmm
My Three Mothers Tell Me I'm An Attention Whore.. I Love My Mums
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I ended up in a kampot village last time.We still need someone from Khmer440 to go undercover on one of these scams. Walk around the Royal Palace with no money or ATMs cards on you, pretend to be a rube tourist, go along with the scam, and then report back. They probably won't kill you.
all my ex's living in phnom penh
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Here's one from Reddit:
Met an Indonesian girl in Phnom Penh yesterday. She seemed genuinely interested in my country (Finland). She wanted to travel here someday and wanted to ask questions about my home country. So, I said okay and we met today morning for brunch at a cafe. She then tells me she has prepared a brunch for me at her cousin's house. I agree to go there. It seems genuinely friendly. At the house, there is the cousin man who works as a VIP card dealer at a casino. We eat, it is very good, fish, rice and pork. It is all very friendly and authentic. The cousin man then shows me and the girl some of his card tricks and tells me how to cheat in the game if I ever visit a casino. Then another man arrives to the house and the cousin man quickly gives me and the girl 200$ because the man who has arrived is a rich man in oil business and also gay and not a nice person, so now we have a chance to cheat some money from him and split the winnings 50/50. Everything up to this point happened in a very friendly and natural way, so my suspicions were only slightly raised at this point. The gambler oil man steps into the room. The cousin man introduces me and the girl to him. He is an old and skinny man, seems senile and absent minded, wears a gold ring. He wants to play. We play a black jack type game with the 200$ the cousin man just gave us. My own money is not on the line, so I think, why not. The cousin man deals the cards and shows me secret signs with his fingers that he just taught me ten minutes ago. I win every round. The oil man then gets 20,000$ and wants to play a final round with that amount. It is real money and my adrenaline is pumped up. All my valuables are at the hotel, so I am not worried, but at this point I am starting to suspect a scam. I take it easy and think. I am sitting in a room with three alien persons. Maybe they all know each other. I only just met them. I need to be careful now. I am asked to make a deposit. They are constantly pressuring me to play. The oil man is acting oblivious, overacting. He is touching his playing chips too much. I have 21 in my hand, the winning number. I can't lose. I am about to get 10,000$, if I call the hand. It is fucking intense. I am not a rich man (as far as money goes), so this feels "too good to be true" to me. My decision needs to be made quickly, but the situation is very strange and I am not prepared for something like this. So, I just wait. I observe what the people do. The oil man blows it. The oil man is touching his chips too much and the girl is pressuring me to play and the cousin man is showing me the finger signs a little bit too intensively. The oil man even says: Ask your girlfriend! The girlfriend whispers me to play, because this is an opportunity! I am calm now. I am sure it is a scam. It must be a scam. But how? How can they scam me because I have the winning hand? I am winning, so how can it be a scam? This is unreal. I am hesitating again for a moment. I know it is a scam, but at the same time I am trying to figure out what would happen if I keep playing. Now, my money is not on the line, so I just quit. I pretend that I don't understand the rules. "No understand. No understand. No understand. What? No understand..."
Because I do not call the 20,000$, the game is over and the oil man wins. The game is over. The cousin man lost the 200$ to the oil man because of me. The oil man leaves. The cousin man gets very angry. His wife is also in the hospital, by the way. How convenient. Everything is too well planned out, an obvious scam. The cousin man wants money from me because he just lost 200$ because I got nervous and folded the last round. I tell him I have no money, which is true. I have maybe 20$ in my pocket. No worries. I apologize and start to leave. The cousin man says something like "fuck" to himself. He is genuinely displeased, now he says I don't respect him. I came to his house to eat and show no respect, "fuck you man I just lost 200$ because of you". I tell him the girl said she made the food. The guy screams that it was his food! LOL! The guy gets furious and grabs me. He wrestles me out. I had a paper where the rules of the game were explained to me. I intended to keep it, but the cousin man takes it from me with some violence and more chaotic grabbing maneuvers. I suppose the paper would be evidence for his scamming activities, so he wants to make sure I don't leave with the paper. There is a happy motorbike driver outside asking me where I want to go, he seems totally oblivious to what is happening. I say I walk. The cousin man is still walking behind me throwing insults at me. He is wrecked. I say "fuck you, too" and show him the finger. He starts to look for a stick or a stone to throw at me, but there is only a heavy cement sewer lid, which is too heavy. He stares at the lid, probably wanting to hit me with it. I just walk away.
So, I'm wondering, how would the scam have played out had I called the 20,000$? I had the winning hand! So, what would have happened next? I don't understand how they could have made me lose in that situation. Maybe the oil man would have also gotten a 21, so it would be draw? But what then? I wonder what would have happened... Do you know?
I can probably locate the address, so should I go and tell the tourist police about this or should I just leave it be? I have many days, so it should not be a problem. What do you think? I will come back tomorrow to read your advice.
(Sorry for unpolished Engrish, because I don't want to waste too much time proofreading my post in an internet cafe, because I have "only" about 3 weeks to travel. By the way, THIS IS AMAZING! MY FIST SOLO TRIP! One of the greatest weeks I've ever had, three more to go, woo-hoo!)
TL:DR Please be careful with friendly people and don't take valuables with you if you meet somebody for brunch. Eat the food and then leave. I got a free meal from the scammers! LOL!
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
We had a Filipino approach us in our house over the river yesterday. He was walking down the street hitting every house. Well dressed. Gold bracelet. Very polite. Could we spare money for his orphanage? He said it was near wat san som Kosal. I said that's near our house...elaborate. He couldn't. I asked for a business card and was given one with no address or contact details. I told him if I wanted to donate I'll visit. He left . The end.
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Has there ever been a report that they have firearms?
Druggings to some, either to rob them of personal items then leave them somewhere on the street before they wake up, or to drug them into believing they owe them money so not questioning the need to goto an ATM that is out of the way, or to use visa card to buy gold for them.
The scammers i realised a nice older lady was one, but once i said ive been here longer, she focussed on getting info about cheap apartments in PP for her relative and not about my country to i guess not be labelled as a typical textbook scammer, and talked longer than needed to cover herself.
Druggings to some, either to rob them of personal items then leave them somewhere on the street before they wake up, or to drug them into believing they owe them money so not questioning the need to goto an ATM that is out of the way, or to use visa card to buy gold for them.
The scammers i realised a nice older lady was one, but once i said ive been here longer, she focussed on getting info about cheap apartments in PP for her relative and not about my country to i guess not be labelled as a typical textbook scammer, and talked longer than needed to cover herself.
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[Edit - wrong forum] Asking about alleged new Filipino restaurant.
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They are really shrewd. Felt bad for an oversea-khmer friend of mine when we go out dining and boozing, they always mistaken him as another envelop passer.StungTrengBooBarang wrote:Has there ever been a report that they have firearms?
Druggings to some, either to rob them of personal items then leave them somewhere on the street before they wake up, or to drug them into believing they owe them money so not questioning the need to goto an ATM that is out of the way, or to use visa card to buy gold for them.
The scammers i realised a nice older lady was one, but once i said ive been here longer, she focussed on getting info about cheap apartments in PP for her relative and not about my country to i guess not be labelled as a typical textbook scammer, and talked longer than needed to cover herself.
EVERYONE BOW DOWN TO HIS MAJESTIES phat kunthea™
Yes, the oil man would have gotten 21, eventually.Maybe the oil man would have also gotten a 21, so it would be draw? But what then? I wonder what would have happened... Do you know?
If old mate didn't fold on 21 and get the hell outa there, then the oil man, who has 20, will want to gamble more on his hand but he will have to leave for 30 minutes to find a bank to get another $20k.
The "croupier/cousin" knows that old mate has 21 and that oil man has 20 so the croupier/cousin starts flipping his finger signs like he is talking to a deaf mute, telling old mate that he is a winner and to go for it.
Oil man demands he be allowed to double his bet, croupier/cousin agrees that in Asia this betting is allowed.
Croupier/cousin then produces two envelopes, one for oil man to place his cards and one for old mate to place his cards. They both slip their cards into the envelopes, lick and seal the cards in the envelopes and then sign across the "sealed" section, "so you know it can't be tampered with"..
Croupier/cousin then takes both envelopes for safe keeping while oil man heads to the bank.
Once oil man has left the house then croupier/cousin will pressure you to go and get as much money as you can get your hands on, even travelers cheques are o.k "no problem", gold, watches, computers, anything of value..
If old mate stuck to his guns about not having any money and nothing of value at his hotel room, then croupier/cousin will get a bit huffy because he will have to make a trip to see his brother who owns a service (gas) station just down the road to get as much cash as he can to make oil man happy and willing to play on.. (If old mate didn't stick to his guns and got caught up in the "game" and admitted that he had money in the bank, in his room, a gold chain in the safe, then croupier/cousin would talk old mate into getting his stash, NOW!!!.. Croupier/cousin will take him to his hotel or bank in his car).
Croupier/cousin will return from visiting his brother with wads of cash, which will be "borrowed" to old mate to finish playing. Croupier/cousin will remind old mate that they are 50/50, remember!!
Oil man returns with his briefcase overflowing with cash.
The games resumes..
Oil man says he has $20k more to gamble, opens his briefcase to prove it..
Croupier/cousin tells a story that he could only get his hands on $10k but since he and old mate are going 50/50, then the other $10k will be paid in full today, if they lose..
All is agreed to with handshakes and laughter and pats on the back..
Croupier/cousin produces the two envelopes holding the cards. The same envelopes that just took a walk to "brothers service station"..
Of course, the cards have been switched.
At this stage you had better have the balls to take on the whole family.
My Three Mothers Tell Me I'm An Attention Whore.. I Love My Mums
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Here's a bunch from the worldnomads scam page. Most of these are about 2 years old, are the Filipino gangs still working in town? I've bolded the anecdote where a guy ends up dead.
Pete said 2 years ago
Worst scam/mugging ever, I have travelled for 5 years and just this weekend in Phnom Penh and walking up the street I did drop my bank card and a seemingly nice bloke informed me, he got chatting and said was I enjoying the sights and asked if I would like to join him for a typical meal, I though yes as I love to experience the culture, he said he would pick me up later from my hostel. He arrived and took me to his place on his scooter (looking back he probably took me a very long way round so I was not aware of his location) we had a lovely meal and chatted and he suggested we should play cards which I agreed (no money involved)later on a girl came in and then a man and the man joined in then put £1000 on the table and I said oh I don't gamble, he pulled out a gun and demanded my money (which I had very little on me), they put a sack over my head and sandwiched me on a motorbike between them and took me to a cash point where my bank would only let me have £500 so they took me to a shop and made me buy 2 I phones. I went back to the hostel I'm unsure of time and how I got but I think the way I felt they may have drugged the meal I ate, I managed to buy another phone but the first man was hanging around the hostel so he wanted my new number (they had taken my phone the night before), I gave him my number but he told me not to leave the hostel, I got a taxi to the airport and 7 hours later after a lot of trouble trying to get a flight (I was lucky to still have my passport) I was on my way to Bangkok and then England! Had the man not helped me over my bankcard I would never have trusted him but a little kindness clouds your judgment in this case.
Meg said 23 months ago
Phewwwww, looks like I dodged a bullet. I've been living in Phnom Penh for around a month, and today came across the friendliest old Cambodian man called 'Andy' who stopped me and asked how I was & where I was from. He was over the moon when I said I was from London, and told me his daughter was moving to Birmingham after Christmas to work at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He told me how nervous she was about meeting new people and moving there, and asked if I would mind meeting her to chat and give her advice about moving to England. He invited me to have lunch with his family and meet her, offering to take me for free on his motorbike and then drop me off wherever I wanted after lunch. He honestly seemed so genuine and lovely, and his English was great... but my instincts told me it wasn't the best idea (perhaps because the Cambodian man was called Andy) so I said I had to go to work. He seemed really upset and was begging me to arrange to meet her after work. I felt really bad walking away, and thought I'd been overly sceptical, then literally 10 mins later a young couple pulled up on a motorbike to tell me they 'loved my dress' they then went on to ask where I was from. 'No way!!! England?! My sister is moving to Manchester after Christmas to work at the hospital, but she is so nervous! Would you please come and meet her?'
What are the chances...
Tana said 20 months ago
Kim, I don't know whether you been scammed in Cambodia or not or you just heard about it and jumped in to make assumption about the people and the country, I can guarantee you scam happening everywhere doesn't matter whether it is a poor or rich country the scam just come in a different form, for you to say that it is Cambodian culture to rob is just a bit too harsh and close mind, Yes, I am Cambodian and not because i am Cambodian I am bragging about my country I just want the justice to be serve, I traveled to quiet a few countries and people tried to scam me sometimes I fell for it and some other times not but I have never labelled as it is their culture to scam people, we try to understand why they did that? because they are desperate? or just pure greed? I do understand to that sometimes we have best intention wanting to help but when we realize that our kindness has been betrayed that is not a good feeling but that just how it is... Like Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, all I wanted to say is there are always bad and good people everywhere please keep and open minded and suspend your judgment before you know the facts....
zac said 20 months ago
Man, i've been in phnom penh for one day and had the old 'my sister/daughter is moving to your city to be a nurse, you have to come to my house and meet her' trick pulled on me three times already.
Cara said 20 months ago
I wish I had seen this forum earlier as I had the "my sister is moving to your country" scam pulled on me just yesterday.
I was approached by a friendly fat woman and her brother, they got me talking cause they asked about one of my piercings which many people do, so I didn't suspect anything.
They told me they're from the philippines and their sister would be travelling to Europe soon and if I wanted to come to their home for lunch and give them some advice on it.
There, I met the alledged Cambodian husband of the sister (if I had paied more attention it would have been weird by that point cause they would at one point say "sister", at another point "sister in law" and keep mixing things up but I kinda assumed it was due to their english not being perfect).
So the "husband" talked to me about his and that and at some point told me he was working at a casino and that they regularly employed people to play with the banker so they could get money out of the rich people's pocket that go to gamble there. Then he told me that they also hold games at his house, mainly games that are (ubreasonably) illegal in Casinos and that just last night some woman won 86'000 dollars playing with her rich ftiends and that they behaved very badly and gave the sister who served them all night only 50 bucks and how rude that was etc etc.
Sympathies on my side obviously.
So he goes on telling me that if I liked he would show me how they manipulated the cards. I thought he would just demonstrate it and was even a bit interested in it. So he explained it to me and just as we finished, that woman from last night came to "play with her friends later on".
I was still not really suspecting anything and the husband took me to the side and told me if I could help them get some money out of her for revenge, I would get half of it. Since he suggested we play for a small amount, I though what the hell, especially because the woman was such a bitch, I actually wanted her to lose some money.
So, we played and she started pulling out heaps of money. When the hand was dealt that I had been told by the husband had to be my last one, there were 52'000 dollars on the table, about 30'000 from her and about 20'000 from me that I had taken "credit" for from him.
Before revealing the cards, the woman started talking about how it was unfair that she had solid cash here and I didn't and that she had a very strong hand and wanted proof that I actually had the money I owed her.
The husband then took me outside and told me how I had done so great and that it was nearly over and that we just had to get enough cash (or other valuables) to show her. So we agreed to tell her that I had to go and get the money blabla and to come back in two hours.
When she was gone, the husband got 10'000 from his own savings in the house and said he would go lend some money from friends. After a while it "turned out" that we hadn't enough so they pleaded me to try and get the rest. The eoman who had first talked to me accompanied me and made me buy an iphone for 1000 dollars and withdraw another 1000 from the atm. I didn't feel comfortable about this at all but I really trusted those people. Luckily, I reached my limit and my credit card is prepaid so I could actually not get any more money. They took me back to the house saying it was all okay and stuff and the woman was already there (which should have also made me more suspicuous I guess). But turns out we were still short on about 5000 dollars and she insisted on getting that money.
Suddenly, a friend of the husband's arrived and they told me he would help us get those 5000 and that I should tell the lady to wait again. In order to not raise suspicions, I would have to leave the house while the husband and the friend got the money.
So, the people who had talked to me first took me away again on their motorbike and we drove to the city mall because it was "a good place to wait.before going back".
I was extremely exhaustes at that point (not sure if they had put anything into my coffee) and sat down at a table. The nice woman said she'd go get something to drink. When she didn't come back after half an hour, it dawned to me that I had definitely been scammed.
I felt so stupid, I started crying right there.
They got 2000 dollars from me, which is a lot for me, being a student.
I won't even go to the embassy or the police cause I know I'd have to pay about the same ammount in bribes if I wanted anything to happen.
If I had just found that forum 24 hours earlier, I could have avoided this. I feel so terribly stupid that I didn't suspect anything earlier and that I didn't listen to my gut telling me something wasn't right.
On the other hand, reading that some of you had pulled guns at them when refusing to do what they said, I'm kinda glad for my naive trust because having a gun pulled at me or having them hanging around my hotel would have been worse than just losing 2000 dollars and feeling stupid about it.
I still love Cambodia so far and most of the people here are wonderful. But I'm definitely not going to fall for that shit again, nor anything else that involves going to someone's house or generally sounds a bit like too much of a coincidence to be true. Though they seem to have adapted "moving to the exact same place you're from" to "travelling through some of the countries close to yours, do you know any of them?" which makes it sound a bit more legit.
I was told so much about Cambodians being so hospitable and thaz being invoted to someone's house is something you should definitely accept cause it's very interesting but I guess I won't trust anyone here that far anymore which is a pitty.
I hope others can see this post before falling for the scam...
Carson Brown said 17 months ago
So glad came to read this!!! I'm literally right in the middle of this scam. Met a nice guy from Malaysia by the canal in siem reap tonight and chatted with him for a bit. His English was very good which is not common here so I was enjoying the conversation. He was very interested when it turned out I'm from Canada as his sister's daughter is going to study there next year. He called his sister on the phone and spoke to her in English which he told me was for my benefit, it seemes odd at the time it now I'm recognizing it as purely trying to convince me of the story. She came over, same story and I'm invited back to meet them at the same spot at 1 pm where we'll go eat lunch tomorrow at their place. Needless to say I won't be meeting them. I wish there was some way I could get them but it seems the police are very corrupt here.
Johanna said 16 months ago
I couldn't believe Phillipe's post was already a year old, because LITERALLY the same thing happened to me today! Two girls, lunch at the place, then the uncle who's a dealer, then the other part coming in to play, exactly the same!
I also half fell for it, I put in 40$ as that was all I had, and then they wanted me to take out a loan, but I put a stop to that.
So yes I lost 40$ but at least nobody threatened me with weapons or anything...
Jan said 14 months ago
My Son arrived in Cambodia 3/3/16, He was planning to wait for 4 or 5 weeks till a Sponsorship visa to come to NZ was processed. On arrival he purchased a work visa for 1 month. He booked the same cheap Questhouse in Phnom phenn he had stayed in previously on his travels of Asia in 2014.On the 5th March we video called and he was sharing his plans and later that evening we chatted online
I sold the tab just extra lugguage and more money in my pocket met a cambodian family today who have a sister who is moving to Scotland soon to be a nurse we are having drinks at my hostel tonight and the dad is a mechanical engineer who says he can get me a job assisting passing tools
He was meant to have drinks that evening at his hostel but he said it was meant to be at 5 but the didn't show and it was 6.30pm he was chatting with me. He mentioned that he told them if they showed up and he wasn't there he would be at the internet cafe.
My Son passed away in his guest room bed that night or early hours Sunday morning. I have always felt uneasy about this Cambodian family/drinks message and more so when i read the comments on here....
We were told he had a heart attack (Cambodia paperwork). We don't have toxicology results back yet for his actual cause of death which may have been Heart attack but from what??
Chris said 7 months ago
I too got hit by the 'my sister is moving to your country come for lunch', get dragged into a card game. Seems my crew of scammers weren't as upto spec as others or maybe because it was just morning. They got $20 off me and i think thats the price i'm happy to pay considering how bad others have had it.
If someone in phnom pehn is being friendly with you for no reason....they probably want something from you. Just be cautious and do not ignore those alarm bells in your head.
Follow my lame Twitter feed: @gavin_mac
Do you people remember the guy who died in 2106? I am sure that they drug some people and make them more pliable. Poor bugger.
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