SAMUT PRAKAN, Thailand – A lottery vendor in Samut Prakan has filed a police report after being scammed by a fraudster who used three counterfeit 1,000-baht banknotes to buy 24 lottery tickets, January 3. The vendor unknowingly gave the scammer 600 baht in real cash as change before the suspect fled the scene.
The incident occurred at a lottery stall opposite the City Pillar Shrine in Pak Nam Subdistrict, Mueang District, Samut Prakan. Mrs. Lumyai, 61, the vendor, brought the counterfeit 1,000-baht banknotes to the Muang Samut Prakan Police Station as evidence.
Mrs. Lumyai recounted that while she was selling lottery tickets near the City Pillar Shrine, a man, approximately 40 years old, wearing a T-shirt and shorts, approached her stall. He acted like a regular customer, selecting nearly all the tickets left at the stall—24 tickets in total, costing 2,400 baht.
The man then handed over three 1,000-baht banknotes as payment. At the time, Mrs. Lumyai did not realize the banknotes were counterfeit and gave him 600 baht in real cash as change. The man quickly left the stall and disappeared.
Later, upon closer inspection, Mrs. Lumyai discovered that the banknotes lacked watermarks or a holographic image of His Majesty the King. The texture of the notes also resembled regular A4 paper. Realizing she had been scammed, she immediately reported the incident to the police.
Mrs. Lumyai has urged other vendors to carefully inspect banknotes before accepting payments, especially as counterfeit currency scams appear to be on the rise.
Police have recorded the incident and are reviewing CCTV footage from the area to identify and apprehend the suspect. (TNA)
