Friday, October 24, 2008

The Filipino BLACKJACK SCAM in Bangkok exported to HCMC VIETNAM


Although this is well known in Bangkok it now seems the scam has been exported to HCMC. This is the first time I have heard of it in Vietnam. I've only heard of lone males being targetted. Here's how it goes....You are talking to a friendly guy in the street. He asks where you are from. You tell him your country and he then, showing surprise, tells you he has a sister/daughter who is going to visit/work/study in your country. He is very genuine and sincere and knows a lot about your country (maybe he says he is a golf trainer and can list a few top names from where you come form). He then asks you if you would please come back to his house to speak to his sister or the mother to let them know more about the country/reassure them.The taxi is paid for and maybe some food is offered. If you are male then maybe even another girl in the family starts some flirting with you. The girl who is going to your country isn't around but will be back in a while.While you are waiting somehow the conversation will get to playing cards and someone will amaze you with some subtle ways at cheating at cards. After a while (maybe a beer, more flirting etc) you will be encouraged to join a rigged game so you can help win a lot of money in a risk free game. From there you will lose a lot of money if you decide to proceed.In the end if you don't gamble you will be introduced to some details about a sick child and asked for a donation which will be put in a sealed, signed envelope.This scam works because it seems very genuine to start with and you also feel very reluctant to not help out someone who is going to visit your country. After that you feel embarrassed about not wanting to wait, help win them some money by gambling after they have paid your taxi and given you snacks and drink. Then you would seem totally cruel not to donate to a poor little boy.

7 comments:

brian reimer said...

I experienced this scam in HCMC yesterday. A man who called himself Alex walked by as I was sitting in the park near the opera house. As he walked by he commented on my shoes (good leather, good for hiking, etc) and then stopped and sat down. All very innocent. He asked where I was from and talked a little about Vancouver. Asked my occupation and said he was an architect in Bangkok. He was visiting his sick mother who had married a VN man (which in itself seemed strange and started some small wheels turning in my head). Later he said his sister was very lucky to be going to Vancouver to work as a nurse (more small wheels turning because Canada is very difficult to recognize qualifications from elsewhere). I told him a little about myself. Casually, he asked if I had some free time, would I talk to his sister and give her some tips. I said sure I would. He then wanted me to go with him to see her. She had to stay with his mother and could not come out. I immmediately hesitated and said I couldn't go nowm, but later i would meet his sister. We exchanged phone numbers. I wasn't sure it was a scam. He seemed so genuine and mild. I called him later and asked him to come with his sister to my hotel. He said he could not go so I agreed to meet him near the park where we met. I brought my notebook to write some notes for her about Vancouver. When I arrived and saw him alone. I said, "where is your sister?" He said she could not come. I said, call me when she is available to come. I would never go somewhere with someone I didn't know. As soon as I left I knew for certain it was a scam. Of course he never called. Alex's phone number in HCMC is 0178808498

Anonymous said...

I believe I have just come even closer to this scam TODAY in HCMC and came online to see if there were any reports. Story goes...
In park 23/9 on Pham Ngu Lao st I was approached by an older man who said he liked my hair, asking where I was from (new zealand). Surprised, he pointed to a younger girl saying his sister was going to New Zealand, with her daughter and would I mind coming home with them for lunch to talk to the worried mother about New Zealand work conditions etc. Already nervous, I agreed to the free lunch and got in the taxi with them. We arrived at a 2 story, very tidy and flash house and had a great lunch. Talking to the brother of the man I'd met, whose name was Dan, I said I'd be travelling to Hanoi in a few days. Dan said he worked in a casino there and wanted to show me how to play blackjack. He started teaching me hand signals of what cards the banker (other player in BJ) had, telling me he wanted me to help him cheat the casino in Hanoi and go halves on the money. Humoring him, I learnt his game. Next thing I know he tells me a very rich man he knew from work was coming and wanted someone to play against. He thrust 200USD into my hand and said 'here's your test', next thing I know a well dressed man introduced himself as Mr Li (apparently an oil tycoon) sat at the table, saying he wants to gamble. I played and won (obviously) and soon Mr Li started pulling out huge wads of USD (10000 at a time) continually raising the stakes (I had no money on me at all) and Dan saying he was happy to back for me. I didn't know where I was (in HCMC) and obviously knew something was up, but had no money on me to leave. Eventually Mr Li said this would be his final hand and pulled out an enourmous roll of money (28,000 USD). He was not prepared to turn over the cards unless he could see I had enough money to pay if I lost. I had no money, so they sealed the cards away saying we would resume later, Dan telling me he could come up with about 20,000 if i could bring the rest tomorrow, then they called me a taxi back to town, where I typed in Blackjack Scam HCMC in google.......

valley said...

I experienced the exact same thing but in Bangkok. Crazy.
Did you hear anything more from them?

Anonymous said...

I experienced this today but by a group of very good english speaking girls. Got the compliments, the going to America bit and was invited back to their house for lunch. No mention of black jack at this point.

Had a nice lunch and was introduced to the uncle who worked on a resort ship as a pit boss (showed me id). I was hen given, what I thought, was an innocent black jack demo. He showed me hand signals and how to cheat. Being still in the dark, thought I was getting a ' how to beat the house' demo. Then all of a suddan a wealthy lady from singapore is coming to play a game and I must pretend to p,ay in the game. I was given $200 usd to pretend to gamble with.

We played a couple hands and the dealer was given me the signals so I would win the hands. Then the wealthy asian lady starts betting higher and higher and all of a sudden I am out of chips. Please, cough up more money I was told( hand i had was a winner) so i could match the Asian ladys bet, if not, then automatically lose the hand.

So, what did I do? I told them I had no money and the hand was lost to wealthy asian lady and all my chips too. Within 15 sec of game ending, she was out the door and house with hwr new $200.

thank goodness i am uber cheap and a bad gambler. Anyone with a little blackjack history would have been all over this as you techniclly win the first 3-4 hands.

I was taken because the girls all spoke such good english and flowered me with compliments and innocently invited me to lunch. Not once until the mention of an asian lady coming to play a game of blackjack did i think i was being scamed. Well, at least i got a free lunch and some more HCM city smarts!

Anonymous said...

I experienced this today but by a group of very good english speaking girls. Got the compliments, the going to America bit and was invited back to their house for lunch. No mention of black jack at this point.

Had a nice lunch and was introduced to the uncle who worked on a resort ship as a pit boss (showed me id). I was hen given, what I thought, was an innocent black jack demo. He showed me hand signals and how to cheat. Being still in the dark, thought I was getting a ' how to beat the house' demo. Then all of a suddan a wealthy lady from singapore is coming to play a game and I must pretend to p,ay in the game. I was given $200 usd to pretend to gamble with.

We played a couple hands and the dealer was given me the signals so I would win the hands. Then the wealthy asian lady starts betting higher and higher and all of a sudden I am out of chips. Please, cough up more money I was told( hand i had was a winner) so i could match the Asian ladys bet, if not, then automatically lose the hand.

So, what did I do? I told them I had no money and the hand was lost to wealthy asian lady and all my chips too. Within 15 sec of game ending, she was out the door and house with hwr new $200.

thank goodness i am uber cheap and a bad gambler. Anyone with a little blackjack history would have been all over this as you techniclly win the first 3-4 hands.

I was taken because the girls all spoke such good english and flowered me with compliments and innocently invited me to lunch. Not once until the mention of an asian lady coming to play a game of blackjack did i think i was being scamed. Well, at least i got a free lunch and some more HCM city smarts!

Anonymous said...

Got the "sister is a nurse/mother dying fom cancer/singapore lady" version on Thurday 20 morning (jan 2011) in HCM. I knew 95% it was a scam when the guy told me about the mother in the taxi, and 100% when the "uncle" introduced himself as a card dealer.
Stopped the game at the same point, when out of chips. Told them politely I know what was happening, and left 10$ because I had fun, and learnt a lot. And I had to go now. (also a way to get them a bit confused by some unexpected behaviour !).
In the taxi back to town the guy tried again the "grandmother" story :-)

Anonymous said...

OMG i only just realised i was a victim of this scam... i feel so god damn stupid, luckily i had no money and when they tried my card for $2000 which i made aware i didn;t have at a local "gold shop" my bank saw this transaction and froze my account!! they asked for 300'00 dong for the taxi fares (which was about $12 AUD) so i thought nothing of it and then got my own taxi and went back to my hotel.... although I only just realised this is a scam I am really glad I had pretty much run out of money at this stage.. welcome to vietnam... it was my first day there!!! it makes me cranky that people prey on lone tourists and now i just wanna go back to the park so i can get targeted again so i can tell them to fuck off..