American arrested in Pattaya for using fake US dollars
Foreign exchange fraud foiled as police catch suspect trying to pass counterfeit bills
Police in Pattaya arrested a 66 year old American for attempting to exchange counterfeit US dollars for Thai baht. The incident yesterday, June 3, took place at the TT Currency Exchange booth on Jomtien Beach Road in Chon Buri province.
Police Colonel Anek Sathongyu, along with Deputy Police Colonel Arus Saphanon and Pattaya’s investigation team, led the operation. The suspect, Jeffrey Stookey Sr., was found with ten fake US$100 bills and 11 additional counterfeit bills inside a document envelope.
The fake notes, marked For Motion Picture Use Only, were identified by the currency exchange staff, who refused the exchange and contacted the police when Stookey insisted on proceeding and displayed dissatisfaction.
The police charged Stookey with possessing counterfeit US currency with the knowledge of its falsity. He will face legal proceedings according to Thai law.
Stookey has a history of travelling in and out of Thailand for nearly a decade. He is married to a Thai national and resides in the Pratumnak Hill area of Pattaya, reported KhaoSod.
In similar news, an ice cream vendor in Ang Thong province fell victim to a scam by a fraudster pretending to buy treats for construction workers. The deception took place on February 16, around 12.20pm, when the scammer used a doctored banknote to pay. The trick involved altering a 100 baht bill to mimic a 1,000 baht note by adding a zero with a blue marker.
The victim, 41 year old Witthoon, who sells coconut ice cream from a motorcycle sidecar in Pho Thong district, said he was approached by a young man described as stocky, tattooed, about 165 centimetres tall, and wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt.
The man ordered 10 ice cream sandwiches at 10 baht each, saying they were for workers building a nearby bridge. He asked if the vendor had change for a 1,000 baht bill, partially showing the tampered note.
Witthoon got 900 baht ready as change, but after handing over the money, the fraudster quickly escaped on a red Honda PCX motorcycle.
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