I was alerted to this story by one of the blogs I follow regularly, Upgrade Travel Better. BBC News has reported a scam victimizing unsuspecting travelers departing from Bangkok's international airport.
The scam involves unwitting travelers who browse the duty free shop. A number of travelers are allegedly being detained each month, charged with shoplifting, and held until they agree to pay a large cash "fine" in order to be released. One couple interviewed by the BBC was approached by security guards in the departure gate. They were accused of stealing a wallet from the duty free store, and the guards demanded to search their bags. Even though the allegedly missing wallet was not found in their possession, the couple was detained, questioned in separate rooms, and held overnight.
The couple was interrogated the next morning by the local police commissioner. In the course of their three hour meeting, the official would only discuss how much money the couple would have to pay in order to leave the country. The ordeal eventually cost them 8,000£ (about $13,000) — despite the fact that the allegedly stolen wallet was not in their possession. The couple was forbidden access to a lawyer or to their Embassy, and the lack of any evidence against them was apparently of no relevance.
This is apparently a typical scam, known as the zig zag scam, occurring many times a month at BKK. Travelers are falsely accused of stealing inexpensive items, then become the victims of an extortion scheme. The lesson to take away from this? If you're flying through the Bangkok International Airport, stay out of the duty free shop. Got time to kill? Buy a one-day membership in the frequent flyer lounge of your airline.
zig zag scam (search here on Google)
copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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