A gang of grifters impersonating police and record-company executives attempted to extort 30,000 baht from a pizza restaurant owner for playing pirated music.
The failed plot played out after midnight Nov. 10 at Jasmine Pizza on Soi Buakaow when a Thai customer set up employee Dolaya Wangsatam, 20, by getting her to put on a compact disc of pirated music. After she did, three people claiming to be Region 2 intellectual property police and a representative from the GMM Grammy music label entered.
One of the 3 “fake” officials we were able to get a photo of before they all snuck out of the police station.
The trio told the young worker she had to surrender the music and CD player to Pattaya Police Station. Dolaya called owner Athittaya Phasalae, 26, who met them at police headquarters.
The fraudsters demanded compensation of 30,000 baht. But before Athittaya agreed to pay, she pressed for more information on the supposed music executive, asking police to call GMM to verify her identity.
Realizing their trick was up, the gang used the commotion and confusion at the station as cover to flee, leaving the pizza cooks and their music behind.
