Ang Thong ice cream vendor scammed with fake 1,000 baht note
An ice cream vendor in Ang Thong province was deceived by a fraudster who posed as a customer ordering ice cream for construction workers.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, February 16 around 12.20pm, involved a counterfeit banknote trick. The fraudster altered a 100 baht note to resemble a 1,000 baht note by adding a zero with a blue marker.
The vendor, 41 year old Witthoon, selling coconut ice cream from a motorcycle sidecar in Pho Thong district, was approached by a man described as a stocky, tattooed teenager about 165 centimetres tall, wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt.
The man requested 10 ice cream sandwiches, priced at 10 baht each, and claimed the purchase was for nearby bridge construction workers. He inquired about change for a 1,000 baht note, partially revealing the altered note. Witthoon prepared 900 baht in change, and upon receiving the altered note, the fraudster quickly fled on a red Honda PCX motorcycle.
Witthoon initially felt alarmed when he realised the note was a 100 baht commemorative edition, easily mistaken for 1,000 baht. The fraudulent alteration included blue ink changes on the note. Despite trying to pursue the culprit, Witthoon was unsuccessful, expressing frustration and disappointment.
Having relocated from Kanchanaburi to Ang Thong over a decade ago, this was Witthoon’s first experience of such deceit. He typically earns less than 1,000 baht daily and felt compelled to warn other vendors to carefully check banknotes before giving change.
Following the incident, Witthoon reported the crime to the Pho Thong Police Station. Police are currently investigating the case, reviewing CCTV footage along the escape route to apprehend the suspect and pursue legal action, reported KhaoSod.
In similar news, police arrested a 56 year old Israeli man after he attempted to exchange counterfeit US dollars at a currency exchange shop in Soi Bua Khao, Pattaya, on January 30.
Staff at the exchange shop became suspicious when the man presented 24 US$50 banknotes for conversion into 40,488 baht. The notes had an unusual texture, and the US$50 number changed colour, a clear sign of forgery.
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