Beware house rental scam

I’d like to tell you all to beware of a certain slender young Udon lady who took me for a sucker to the tune of 20,000 baht recently over a house rental contact. Here I shall call her Kit.

She was recommended to me by a friend who she has served well for a long time so I thought she was trustworthy although the friend did add the proviso “don’t give her any money directly – give it to the house owner in person”. She and her male accomplice took me around one day and showed me 5 houses which were for rent. The last one was particularly good value at 3,500 per month.

I should have smelled a rat there & then but I didn’t – it was actually more expensive. I agreed to take the house for 3 years & paid Kit 1,000 for her day’s work. The lady owner lived in Khon Kean and Kit took another 1,000 from me to go to Khon Kean and take care of the rental contract. At the same time I gave her 7,000 as a deposit to secure the house for me.

The next day she returned with a receipt purporting to be from the owner (it wasn’t). Kit then offered to organise Cable TV and Internet for me and said that this was cheaper for a Thai than for a farang so I could put it in her name if I wanted. This I refused.

About a week later she contacted me and said that she had the contract in her possession and the owner wanted a further 10,000. This, she said, was because the owner was broke had to refund the deposit of the present tenant when he came to leave. I asked why the owner only wanted 7,000 deposit from me but had taken 10,000 from the previous tenant. “That’s because he was a Thai” she said. “Farang’s are more trustworthy”.

She arrived at my hotel with a contract, in Thai, which she read out in English. When I said I couldn’t read it she had her accomplice go to the car and come back with another contract which was partly in English and sounded OK. She went through my (Thai) contract line for line with the second (partly English) contract and they were identical – at least, I believed so – and I said “OK” and signed it.

At that juncture I paid Kit the 10,000 and asked for a receipt which she gave me. I was careful to hand over the cash in my hotel lobby in view of the video camera. At this time I also paid her another 1,000 to go to Khon Kean and come back with the house key and the signed contract. I phoned her about 6 times over the next week couldn’t contact her.

When she eventually made contact she apologised but said she was stuck in Khon Kean, didn’t have the money to return and hadn’t had enough cash to recharge her phone. I later discovered that she hadn’t actually gone there at all. She said she would be back on Friday and she had the contract signed but said she had to go away until Tuesday to work on the family farm. Everything, she assured me, was OK. I saw her on Tuesday because she – with her accomplice and his car – were taking a farang friend to a furniture shop to buy a bed and she invited me along.

When I saw her I asked “where’s my contract.” “Oh, sorry, I forgot” she replied. I’ll bring it to your hotel tomorrow afternoon. From that day on, she went off the air, didn’t answer text messages or calls. OK, now it had eventually sunk in to my pea sized, gullible brain that I’d been taken so I began investigating.

I went to the house I intended to rent and saw the tenants. They gave me the owner’s telephone number in Khon Kean. They also gave me 6 photos of Kit that they’d taken when I viewed the house because, as they said, “she looked suspicious and her accomplice’s scarred face made him look like a criminal”.

Through a Thai speaker I contacted the owner who, I found, had desperately been trying to find me but Kit had told her that I had only just come to Udon and didn’t yet have a phone. Furthermore Kit had never visited her and had only sent her 2,000 out of my 17,000 deposit. Now if that wasn’t enough to take in the owner said that Kit told her that she and I were partners in a bar (we’re not) and that the rental contact would be in 3 names – Kit, her accomplice and me!!

The owner said that Kit had found her on the Net after she (the owner) had advertised her house for sale and Kit offered to find farang’s to rent it to. Armed with the 6 photos I went hunting and showed a lot of people the pics. I was told that she’d been sacked from a farang’s bar for stealing and 3 Thai people who’d had dealings with, or knew her, told me she was a crook. Nobody, however, knew her address and I discovered she had 4 telephone numbers (I’ve no doubt she has more). Somebody gave me her Facebook page url too.

A little down the track somebody told me that the Tourist Police were looking for Kit so I went to see them. One of the guys there knew a lot about her crooked history, had been after her for a long time (years I think he said), but could never find her address. Another problem with nailing her was that nobody before had made a formal complaint about her as the amounts she usually scams people for are low by farang standards – like my 20,000 bath and not considered worth the hassle of paperwork etc. Even so I was told that she’d taken an Australian guy for 44,000baht who’d sent her the money for a trip to Australia but she kept the cash and didn’t go.

I’m trying to contact him as I write but so far without success. I had already sent text messages to Kit’s 4 known numbers telling her that if I didn’t have my money back by midday Monday I was going to the police. I told her that if I got my money I’d forget about it. I received one text message in reply saying that she would pay me back in 2 weeks time. I replied – “no deal give me the money”. In the texts I sent I told her that I had a lot of information about her including her Facebook page.

The Tourist Police were very helpful and printed out her pic from Facebook. The next day she closed her Facbeook account. The Tourist Police took me to see the “Criminal Police” who quickly came up with a mug shot of her taken some 6 or 7 years previously. So as I write they’re out there looking for the pair of them. So perhaps I’m a gullible idiot – I plead no contest.

I was brought up with a fairly accurate moral compass and the Golden Mean - do unto others as you would expect them to do unto you etc. But double cross me and I turn into a nasty bastard who’ll stop at nothing to get my own back. So, newcomers to Udon Thani beware of this slender young lady and her scar-faced accomplice and if you’ve already been taken down by them pay a visit to the Tourist Police. They’re real nice guys and they’ll help you all they can.

Wow! Hook, line and sinker. Sorry to hear of your bad fortune. Any chance there's a photo of said perp on line??

The story sounds similar to the insurance salesman (can't remember if it was life or auto) who came to the house, documents all prepared, took the cash, and ended up never processing the documents.

Thanks for sharing your woes....maybe it'll help someone else avoid the same.

You wrote: "They also gave me 6 photos of Kit that they’d taken when I viewed the house because, as they said, “she looked suspicious and her accomplice’s scarred face made him look like a criminal”." If you still have her photos, scan them and put a few of them on this thread. So, we will be many to look at her!

ok you got taken for a ride, because you are the gulliable type, and now you want payback..fair enough, but just be very careful..She obviously has a criminal record, and I would hazard a guess that scarface does too..hes probably her minder just in case some farang cottons on sooner than you did, and hits her up face to face about getting his money back..she has done this before to some aussie, and heavens knows who else over the last 6 or 7 yrs...

from what you have said, you are putting the squeez on, but just watch that doesnt come back to bite you in the arse..if you are still living at the same digs as you were when all this transaction was going on, I would move, and dont tell anyone where you have moved too. Would hate to hear you fell off a balcony during the night, like some many others do... if she ever gives you back your money, then meet her during daylight in a public place..have a mate on standby nearby as backup, and watch your back..scarface could be packing..when you think everything is all over and life looks rosy, thats the time to check whats coming up behind ya..

I have been inside the prison at Nongkhai, and my usual digs overlook the Udon prison, its the last place she will be wanting to go, thats for sure, but she may have already spent your money, or owe a debt to some nasty piece of work, maybe scarface is really the one wearing the pants, so just be very careful, even crossing the road..it might be cheaper to off you, than pay up...good luck, but be ready to pull out if things start getting nasty..an injury or worse is not worth it for a mere 20,000 baht...

follow up on all charges, sue her for fraud if possible.. Eventually she'll surface if Udon's her stomping grounds. Make sure enough folks recognize her through the photo so you can tip off the cops and get her arrested.. That's hardly "payback", it's justice..

Thanks Parrot, Nongwuasoguy & Maaka

Unfortunately I don’t have her pic in electronic form – I was only given hard copy photos. Even so I guess I could ask the photographer for them on my flash drive. I’m wondering though, about possible recriminations from her side if I do that.

Thanks for the advice Makka. Yes, I've already moved accommodation and will not occupy that particular house. Police also advised me to get a dog & security light when I move into a house.

If anybody wants to see her photos I can meet you at the Irish Clock or somewhere and we can copy them.

If it was me I would reluctently let it go and get on with having a good time, she sounds like a nasty peice of works, better to be safe than sorry as they say.

your welcome to my opinion Arosolius..good to see you have moved..

Would there be some backlash (legal issues), if you did post her pic her on the forum??

Might be fun to do a farang patrol (bar walk), looking for her!!!!

I'm 50/50 for and against you pursuing her, can see possible problems for you.......on the other hand letting it slide would just enforce the standard Thai (criminal) mentality (what little is there) that you can get away with anything when a farang is involved.

Personally, with all the information / past criminal record of this female (can't say Lady) I'd push the issue on getting her punished. On pushing the issue, Thai police looking for her for years "yea, for one or two days everytime someone complains then it's golfing or having lunch with the gik"........if they really wanted to arrest her she'd already be in jail.
Again, standard Thai (just generalizing) say you want something.....but don't do anything to get it!!!!

you could also retain a lawyer and sue her in civil court for fraud.. That would just be one more thing hanging over her head..

I am all for justice, but having assisted in a Court case in Udon before, one has to be real about the costs involved for lawyers, translators, the time involved, the mountain of paperwork, and the years it takes to go thru the system, and then the possible final result that the other party doesnt have the money to pay up anyway..

The OP did sign a contract, so there is that point to consider, of course there is a breach of contract, in that he did not get a rental house off her, but it is easy for her to say in court, that that particular deal fell thru, and that she still has his money, and is still searching for another house for him in order to conclude the deal. No crime committed, just shoddy business practice, and misunderstanding Your Honour

you could spend 10 times what you have lost, just to try and get a conviction, she knows that, scarface knows that, thats why they just scam for small amounts...

this is just my opinion, based on alittle bit of experience..

'The OP did sign a contract'

I've seen the same sort of thing happen with a number of people building homes. Sign a contract, plunk down a chunk of cash for the contractor, and somewhere along the lines, the contractor disappears. I once thought it was a falang-phenomenon, but a Thai neighbor of ours lost his contractor 70% through completion, along with a 100k of advanced funds to finish the job.

HMMMMM!! THANKS ALL FOR THE HEADSUPS

i was friendly with a rather older american chap last year in udon. we met for lunch & he introduced me to his so called gf, that turned out to be quite the emotional train wreck. was very anti farang male but nevertheless her american bf continued in a relationship with her & even moved in with her some 8 km north of udon heading towards nong kai. he asked me to visit him on several occasions but i never did as he had a number of financial issues with her & i didnt want to get involved.

she introduced me to her niece, none other than a "kit". this meeting took place in a empty office across from the udon electric company depot. "kits" story was that she had just moved from another office & was setting up a agents business for whatever service or product i needed to acquire in thailand.
she also went on to say she was married to an american but he was back in america.

my six immediately kicked in & i must have gone too fast with a few probing questions, as when i try to text or call her number the following day to arrange meeting & looking at some rental properties, there was no answer or reply.
i think she sensed that i was going to probe her further rather than be committed to taking on a rental through her.
sport i guess....

beware folks..her english is good & has a very volatile circle of accomplices.

Thanks for the info Driller. It could be the same girl and "Kit" does speak good English.

I still haven't heard anything from the cops so don't know if they're any nearer to locating her.

They think she has probably gone to ground in a village, possibly with family, for a while.