7. The Thai Gem Scam

A wildly elaborate con, the Thai Gem Scam has become infamous in Bangkok, where it is often performed on unsuspecting tourists. It starts with a lookout, who strikes up friendly conversations with tourists about their vacations. The lookout will say that there is a service that gives tourists free rides to local temples for sightseeing tours, and will direct them to a nearby taxi. The taxi then takes the person to a tourist attraction, where yet another con man will chat with them and eventually tell them about a government program that allows jewelry to be bought duty free, which would allow for a huge profit if the mark resold it back in their home country. The taxi driver then drives the mark to another location or two, and at each stop another stranger will mention the gem scheme, but always in passing so as to give the impression that the whole set up is random and unconnected. If done right, all this insider advice will eventually convince the tourist to ask to be taken to a jewelry store, where they will be pressured to buy “rare” gems and have them shipped back to their home country. Naturally, the gems are worth significantly less than the price advertised, and when the victim gets home they will find they are unable to sell them for any kind of profit.