PATTAYA, Thailand – Two shop owners in Soi Kophai in south Pattaya, found themselves ensnared in a cunning scam orchestrated by scammers employing false pay slips in an attempt to deceive them into believing they had been paid online.
Ms. Kanmanee Nanthasun, a 60-year-old shop owner, recounted the upsetting experience, detailing how a customer visited her establishment on March 28 and made a purchase totalling approximately 700 Baht, consisting of alcohol and food items. The customer insisted on paying via transfer, citing an inability to pay cash immediately.
Following the purported transfer, Ms. Kanmanee received no notification on her phone, prompting suspicion. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the recipient’s name did not match hers, indicating fraudulent activity. She confronted the customer about the mistake, but the man swiftly fled the scene on a motorcycle, leaving Ms. Kanmanee both shocked and dismayed.
This modus operandi mirrored another incident reported by Ms. Ramphueng Sermseang, another shop owner located approximately 500 meters away. Ms. Ramphueng recounted a similar scenario where a customer ordered goods worth 700 Baht, paid via scan, and then absconded before the deceit was uncovered. She lamented the significant financial setback incurred, highlighting the impact on her already modest daily profits.
The detrimental effect of such scams on small businesses was underscored, with Ms. Kanmanee expressing concerns over the fragility of daily profits and the profound setback caused by a single instance of deceit. She urged fellow shop owners to remain vigilant and avoid falling victim to similar fraudulent activities in the future.
Law enforcement authorities have been alerted to the situation, with calls for swift action to apprehend the perpetrators and prevent further occurrences of such deceptive practices plaguing the local business community.
