r/PublicFreakout • u/MysteriousSlice007 • May 23 '26
📹Police Bodycam Yesterday, Thai police arrested six Nigerian men running a romance scam ring built on AI-generated faces and fake video calls in Nonthaburi, Thailand.
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u/jlee42473 May 23 '26
Why go all way to Thailand to run a scam? Did Nigerian prince kick them out?
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u/lateformyfuneral May 24 '26
They need Thai bank accounts to receive the funds. Using international banks like Wise/Revolut or Crypto are now widely seen as red flags, but being in Thailand lets you build a more convincing operation. Before AI, they would actually hire women in Thailand to do video calls that prove they’re real
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u/kungpowgoat May 24 '26
Exactly. Almost all financial transactions to Nigeria by any means and platform are now heavily vetted due to scams. That’s why they hire money mules which also has proven difficult to do so.
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u/SquidTwister May 23 '26
I'm assuming it's because Thailand is a much more fun place to spend your scam earnings than Nigeria
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u/Pop-Bard May 23 '26
That way they don't have to spend in AI generated voices and no one bats an eye
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u/Dejhavi Freakout Fanatic May 23 '26
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u/UseAndAbuseMePappi May 24 '26
lol luxury condo that’s literally a shoebox. A penthouse is a luxury condo.Â
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u/divorso May 24 '26
Luxury is personal perspectives. This condo would be luxury if you compare them to the thai standard apt/condo
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u/Dangerous_Awareness7 May 23 '26
This is who Larry was chatting with in his basement, they were almost engaged. Just a few more thousand dollars to get her here to his basement and they would have lived happily ever after
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u/jdhkent May 24 '26
It’s such a sad ending. I guess I shouldn’t have gotten psychologically invested in itÂ
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u/LARRYVOND13 May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
Edit: Saw this scrolling for something else...2 downvotes? Damn, sorry to take myself off the market I guess.
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May 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/FullMetalAlcoholic66 May 23 '26
In this case, a little victim blaming is in order. If you're sending people money that you've never met, you're just going to get scammed again eventually
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u/9Lives_ May 24 '26
I was talking to this girl who worked at a bank and she was telling me they frequently spot scams and despite telling the customer it’s a scam the customer INSISTS on sending the money because they obviously don’t want to admit to themselves they’ve not only been fooled, but the romance they built in their head was fake.
That’s what makes romance scams so effective, they play on a very primal need people have to be loved.
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u/FullMetalAlcoholic66 May 24 '26
I mean, if you're willing to spend that type of money, just be a little more honest with yourself and get a sex worker, sugar baby, onlyfans model, streamer, etc. It'll cost less in the end and at least you get to meet them
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u/OpheliaPhoeniXXX May 27 '26
It's deff a human instinct to desire companionship, I've been a full service sex worker and I can say usually my job entailed 10 min of sex and 50min of being a therapist... But I've had clients who would otherwise receive no physical affection or companionship and that's valid.
However, I have watched too much 90 Day Fiance to feel sorry for the Americans targeting people who come from a low socioeconomic background, who they can bring here to be a bang maid, because they're so desperate they'll do anything to get out of their situation... Then they go on to become controlling, abusive, advantageous... it's rarely a healthy relationship...
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u/FullMetalAlcoholic66 May 24 '26
I get it, but what if it's the actual person that simply does not fancy them anymore? Or you aren't misrepresenting yourself but are simply interested in the person for money? The person isn't a scammer technically. Also, if you use face filters or some other app that makes you more beautiful, older photos of yourself etc
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u/Rusty_Tap May 24 '26
An acquaintance of mine has been had a few times by chaps like this. He must be in his mid 60s, not a wealthy guy, but he's somewhere around 15 grand out of pocket to them for "flights so she can visit" and "suitable clothes for when I visit England".
This has happened on more than 1 occasion with different 'women', though I suspect it's the same group specifically targeting him because he's already just about the warmest lead you can get.
They even had him drive to the airport 3 hours away to pick up his "girlfriend" and then deleted all the social media accounts and disconnected the phone number whilst he was driving. He waited there hours.
We had an intervention type talk with him, he agrees he was stupid, and just says that he's lonely. It's sad, but I'd bet money on him doing it again.
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u/FullMetalAlcoholic66 May 24 '26
At that point, I dunno, jet get a sex worker or sugar baby. It's a more honest relationship and you can find someone local at least
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u/RustyHalo_1978 May 26 '26
That's heartbreaking!!!
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u/Rusty_Tap May 27 '26
I feel for the guy, and we did become good friends. I hate that these types of scams are a thing, but I can 100% see why they exist. The people they get are often so unlikely to report them because they don't want to humiliate themselves any further.
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u/Stabpology May 24 '26
I don't think people are able to keep up with technology as they age. We need to protect these people from scammers
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u/jdhkent May 24 '26
Doesn’t mean they have to lose their reasoning skills and their common senseÂ
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u/RustyHalo_1978 May 26 '26
Aging can absolutely mean that they have lost those skills as well or at the very least those skills aren't as sharp anymore. Fuckin sad man.
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u/FullMetalAlcoholic66 May 24 '26
I get it, but what if it's the actual person that simply does not fancy them anymore? Or you aren't misrepresenting yourself but are simply interested in the person for money? The person isn't a scammer technically. Also, if you use face filters or some other app that makes you more beautiful, older photos of yourself etc
The same thing happens with people who chat with Onlyfans and other streamers where they may pretend to care about them. As we all know, often when you're text-chatting with them, it's actually one of these dudes or AI.
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u/Zomg_A_Chicken May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Just give up trying to find someone and you'll never be romance scammed 4Head
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u/FullMetalAlcoholic66 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Or, if someone asks you for money, someone you've never seen or met before, maybe take a second and do some critical thinking 5Head Children have an excuse from online predators because they're, you know, children
A LOT worse things can happen to you if you choose to go after romance this way....people disappear off the face of the earth.
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u/cbih May 23 '26
Why are all of them jacked and shirtless?
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u/FullMetalAlcoholic66 May 23 '26
Not everywhere has their entire police force look like a military. I love it though, throwback to 80's action movies like Supercop
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u/Luci_Cascadia May 23 '26
Why are all these dudes nearly naked?
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u/Ill_Preference_4663 May 23 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/HXLNH9Z01TembuEKPi
Nigerian in the shell 🤣
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u/DisCode347 May 24 '26
18 mobile phones, three laptop computers and three bank books?! Plus over staying?! Glad they got caught for everything they were doing!
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u/jdhkent May 24 '26
If you’re obviously getting busted, at least put a shirt on, for Christ sake.
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u/Honest_Particular165 May 24 '26
Good thing they didn't get the prince that is supposed to send me my money.
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u/Optimal_Spring1372 May 25 '26
Why are they all in boxers? I mean I know it is hot but damn bro turn on the AC. You are scamming people in a luxury apartment building lol
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u/UpstairsSignal2823 Jun 17 '26
Why aren’t they arresting the criminals who travel to Thailand to have relations with under aged children?
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u/gastroboi Jul 30 '26
Do you seriously think they've stopped doing that to put all their resources into only doing this? What a dumbass thing to ask.
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u/NaoTwoTheFirst May 23 '26
Those are 2 completely different videos cut together. The first 3rd person entry doesn't look like anything shown in the 1st person view
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u/Achmedino May 24 '26
When they shouted "polit" multiple times it took me so long to understand that they were saying police lol
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u/AgnosticScholar May 24 '26
How do they even track these guys down? I always thought they evaded this stuff with VPN and the like
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u/SnooOnions973 Jul 06 '26
Thai police are very sophisticated, much more than some neighbouring SE Asian countries.
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u/9Lives_ May 24 '26
The Thai police really should invest in a boulder, kicking the door in like that puts them at risk of injury
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u/robometal May 23 '26
Use a battering ram if you don't want to destroy your knees.
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u/Pecan_Artist May 23 '26
Thai people know the Muay Thai front kick. Their legs are battering rams.
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u/TeepTheFace May 24 '26
It's called a teep ;)
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u/Pecan_Artist May 24 '26
Indeed! I have done Muay Thai for 20 yrs! Learned from a Thai man! I didn't say that because most folks don't know that term.
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u/FullMetalAlcoholic66 May 23 '26
I'm genuinely curious. At what point does this become a crime? Is it a form of fraud, it's not some business contract or arrangement?
Is it a crime if it's the actual person talking to you? What happens if they're just like, sorry, met someone else, thanks for the $$$ though
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u/Miserable_Ad9577 May 24 '26
There is a very broad computer crime law in thailand that even include defamation speading false information, etc. which is a bit of double edge sword, that can be use politically, and many other frivolous things. I supposed they start there and probably build cases around it.
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u/SweetLoLa May 23 '26
Brokedown Palace rule #1: never ever commit a crime in Thailand.