Is this a scam?

[Oliver]

My boyfriend has just phoned me to tell me that he was won a car - a Nissan Note- after participating in a competition on LINE.
He is required to go to Bangkok, pay 200,000 bht ("for tax") and then he will be given the car.
This sounds like a scam to me. Why is "tax" so expensive? why doesn't he pay it to the authorities?
I feel uneasy.... I'm the one expected to pay the 200,000, but more seriously, is this involving him in something illegal or even dangerous?

I'd appreciate advice.

[catawampuscat]

Oliver, believe your bf. Thai boys never lie.
Don't ask for proof or documentation, the bf might lose face.
Some fellow posters might not think your query serious or that anyone would
ever doubt their bf.
A suggestion that he sell the car or get the money from a bank in Thailand using
the new Nissan as collateral seems too logical a solution.

[Smiles]

Go with him. If you are 'expected' to pay such an amount of money ... go with him and participate (completely) in the process.
If it's legit he'll be glad you are there. If it's a scam (that he knows about, or is a participant to) he will not want you there. If he is being taken in (as Gaybutton says below) then it's a Sentimental Education. Buy him the book by Flaubert.

(edited ... for more thoughts)

[bobsaigon2]

Can't find the price of the Nissan Note online, but 200,000 Baht tax sounds like at least a third of the sales price of the car. I agree with Smiles. Be there, be present if BF is handing over 200K, and make sure he gets clear title to the car. To me it sounds like a complete scam.

[Gaybutton]

I'd appreciate advice.
My advice is quite simple. Find another boyfriend - fast.

First, I am unaware that Line ever ran such a contest. Second, does it really make sense to you that Line would run a contest, knowing damned well that the winner would be unlikely to be able to afford to collect the prize? Even if his story turns out to be true, after you part with your 200,000 baht, who pays for the fuel, insurance, licensing, and maintenance? Does your boyfriend even have a driving license?

I wouldn't worry about whether he's stepping into something illegal, but whether you are. I would demand to see the paperwork and I would also contact Line to see if they really did run such a contest and, if they did, the name of the winner.

How was he notified that he is the winner? I don't know about others, but I still get Emails regularly from Dr. Mweleke Mweneke from Nigeria, wanting to put ten-billion dollars into my bank account so he can get the money out of Nigeria. Maybe your boyfriend is actually the one falling for a scam.

If you think his story even has a prayer of being true, I'd do what Smiles says - go with him to pay this tax, and make sure this tax is being paid in a legitimate government office. There is no reason to pay anywhere else. For that much money, I would also hire an attorney to make sure all the paperwork is in order and all the T's are crossed and I's dotted. If he gives you any excuse whatsoever why he can't show you the paperwork, why you can't go with him to pay, or tries to convince you that the money must be paid anywhere other than a legitimate government office, that would be one boy I'd drop quicker than I would drop a hot potato.

[francois]

Has anyone seen the movie NEBRASKA? If it's too good to be true, then it is not.

[goji]

The tax seems too high.
Also, to organise a competition with a car as a prize EXCLUDING tax seems like doing half a job.

A scam seems most likely.
Why not get a copy of the communication stating he has won the prize, then if it's in Thai ask someone sensible to read it and see what he thinks.
Then if you are paying, got to Bangkok & get the car, the keys and the documents before paying the tax. If that's a new car (make sure it is !), I presume the transaction would take place at a Nissan dealer or some other reputable looking premises.

Your boy should be quite happy with that arrangement. If he's not, alarm bells should be ringing.

[colmx]

Of course its a scam!
As GB points out above - its a 2015 variation of the Nigerian 419 Scam
We will give u 1,000,000USD, just need 5000 USD to ensure the bank transfer goes through etc

Unlike other though - i suspect that your BF is innocent in the scam just a naieve pawn

[Impulse]

The hard part is to convince your bf without him feeling stupid, losing face.But I want to know how Smiles knew what GB would respond , before he did.

[scottish-guy]

....do you think it could be because (as it clearly says), Smiles edited his post after GB had contributed?

8-}

[Gaybutton]

Has anyone seen the movie NEBRASKA? If it's too good to be true, then it is not.
I did, and that's a perfect example.

I hope, for Oliver's sake, it turns out that someone is trying to scam the boyfriend rather than the boyfriend trying to scam Oliver.

The Internet is full of this type of scam. "You've won/inherited/can receive funds/a prize and all you have to do is pay this trivial (compared to the value of what you'll be receiving) (facilitation) fee". I'm surprised it's taken scammers so long to start using Line. A popular one from a couple of years ago was the email or Facebook post from someone you knew who had "been robbed/lost all their money while travelling overseas", and can you help them out.

As to the possibility of Oliver educating his boyfriend ... the pigs are all set and ready to fly. Oops, sorry, forgot that Oliver supports terrorists so won't be having anything to do with pigs.

[Gaybutton]

The Internet is full of this type of scam.
The more I think about it, the more I believe that's exactly what's going on. I think it's far more likely this is a case of Oliver's boyfriend falling for a scam.

I hope Oliver has sense enough to thoroughly, very thoroughly, check out every possibility before he even considers parting with 1 baht. Too bad if the boy resents losing face, although I don't see why Oliver checking things out would cause him to lose face. If it were me and I had to make a choice between the boy losing face or me losing 200,000 baht, any questions about what my choice would be?

[fountainhall]

A popular one from a couple of years ago was the email or Facebook post from someone you knew who had "been robbed/lost all their money while travelling overseas", and can you help them out.
That one's still popular. I had one purportedly from a good friend just a couple of weeks ago. Since the amounts requested are relatively small, I suspect some people do fall for it. Problem in this case is it alleged the writer was stuck in the Ukraine when in fact my friend was in a New York hospital being treated for leukaemia!

[Gaybutton]

I asked two Thai boys, both of whom use Line regularly. They said they did see something about a 'win a car contest,' but they weren't sure whether it was a real contest or just some sort of game. They both think someone is trying to scam the boy into thinking he won a car. They both said there is no way there would be a 200,000 baht tax. Their suggestion is for the boy to show everything he has about this to the police and see what they say about it being a legitimate win or a scam.

[Up2U]

There definitely could be a scam making the rounds. Friend of bf posted on FB he won a new Nissan. He had to get money from his bank to pay the tax. 20k,200k? I don't remember the details but there has been no talk or more FB postings so I do think it was a scam.

[Oliver]

Thanks for the advice.
An hour after I posted and before anyone had replied, I'd told P. that I thought that it was a scam and he should not participate. And no money from me, of course.

[Surfcrest]

http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/scamsandidentitytheft/ss/top10inetscams.htm

[Up2U]

There definitely could be a scam making the rounds. Friend of bf posted on FB he won a new Nissan. He had to get money from his bank to pay the tax. 20k,200k? I don't remember the details but there has been no talk or more FB postings so I do think it was a scam.
No scam, paid 30k in tax and now owns a new Nissan. This was a LINE STICKERS contest.

[Oliver]

30k? P.was told 200k. I may have taken a chance with 30k.

[Nirish guy]

Well if there's a competition ( which I ABSOLUTELY doubt !) both LINE and Nissanmust have the worst PR Agencies in the world representing them as there is absolutely no mention of any such competition being run or prizes being awarded on any of their websites or Facebook accounts etc, I think you can rest assured this is was indeed just a scam attempt, hopefully on and not by a loving BF :-(

[Oliver]

Thanks Nirishguy. This has caused me some distress....I wish I'd not received that phone call. And that P. hadn't been offered the prize. In the eleven years we've been together very rarely has he asked me for money; I hated saying no.
I have talked through with him the reasons why I'm not prepared to provide the money. And he has accepted it, though I know he was disappointed. If it is a scam, then I hope the perpetrators are caught before others suffer. And if it's not, surely LINE should be aware that expecting rural Thais to come up with large sums of money is unrealistic? In the UK, competitions like this usually offer a cash alternative.

[latintopxxx]

I trust this " boy" is not in your will ..and that u keep away from high balconies....

[thaiguest]

This post reminds me of the statement "If you have to ask the price you can't afford it"
If you have to ask on this or any forum if this is a scam then you're a likely sucker, end of story.

[Up2U]

Thanks Nirishguy. This has caused me some distress....I wish I'd not received that phone call. And that P. hadn't been offered the prize. In the eleven years we've been together very rarely has he asked me for money; I hated saying no.
I have talked through with him the reasons why I'm not prepared to provide the money. And he has accepted it, though I know he was disappointed. If it is a scam, then I hope the perpetrators are caught before others suffer. And if it's not, surely LINE should be aware that expecting rural Thais to come up with large sums of money is unrealistic? In the UK, competitions like this usually offer a cash alternative.
Thailand is the land of miscommunication. It was unrealistic for you to fork over 200k but I do believe your bf that we won something. Here is a picture from his FB page showing him picking up the Grand prize, a new Nissan. This was somehow related to LINE stickers contest and every Thai I talked to knows about it.

[Gaybutton]

It was unrealistic for you to fork over 200k but I do believe your bf that we won something.
If you can really wind up with a brand new car for 200,000 baht, that sounds good to me. I would imagine those faces you blacked out had BIG smiles on them.

[Up2U]

It was unrealistic for you to fork over 200k but I do believe your bf that we won something.
If you can really wind up with a brand new car for 200,000 baht, that sounds good to me. I would imagine those faces you blacked out had BIG smiles on them.
Yes, many big smiles, tax paid was about 30k.