In Khon Kaen, there have been disturbing incidents involving local shop owners falling prey to a scam perpetrated by a woman disguised as a male customer. The woman, who had short hair, would claim to have no cash and propose a bank transfer for more than the purchase price. She would then request the excess amount in cash. However, after the woman left, it became evident that no money had actually been transferred, leaving the shopkeepers at a loss.
The theft was captured on CCTV cameras near a beef shop in the Kok Samran district of Khon Kaen. The suspect, a woman with a boyish haircut, parked her black and grey Honda Wave motorbike in front of the store and pretended to be engaged in a phone call. She then took a bottle of oil from the shop, apparently to refuel her bike.
Subsequently, she engaged the shop owner in conversation, inquiring about beef prices and ordering half a kilogram. She opted for a bank transfer payment method, claiming she would overpay and request change in cash. However, the transaction turned out to be fraudulent when the shop owner discovered that no money had been transferred.
A reporter visited the affected beef shop located near the entrance to the Kok Samran village and interviewed the 29-year-old shop owner, Oruma, who revealed the details of the scam that occurred on Wednesday, July 5. Oruma described the woman as having short hair and estimated her age to be between 25 and 30. The woman parked her motorbike outside the shop, pretended to be on a phone call, and purchased a bottle of oil for 40 baht to refuel her bike, according to the report by KhaoSod.
When asked about the beef price, Oruma informed her that it was 300 baht per kilogram. Consequently, the woman decided to buy half a kilogram for 150 baht, bringing the total to 190 baht when combined with the cost of the oil. Oruma explained, “She said she had no cash and had 410 baht in her bank account. She offered to pay more than the cost of the items via a bank transfer and asked for change in cash. I agreed since the amount wasn’t too high. She then pretended to use a QR code for payment and showed me the name of the shop and the transferred amount on her phone. I didn’t check the details properly and subsequently gave her 210 baht in cash.”
Feeling deceived, Oruma shared her experience of the scam on an online community page and discovered that many others had been similarly cheated. While she hasn’t filed a complaint, she has given the woman an opportunity to return the money and pay for the goods taken.
Oruma emphasized the importance of caution against such individuals and expressed her belief that it’s not right to deceive others, as it causes harm and erodes trust. She also stressed the value of earning money through hard work and warned fellow shopkeepers to be vigilant regarding money transfers, urging them to verify the accuracy of the transferred amount before allowing customers to leave. She concluded by stating, “I don’t want anyone else to face the same problem.”
