Scams & Confidence Tricksters, Kuala Lumpur

Please be extra careful and catious of people approaching you and asking you the time, then asking more questions leading to them asking you to follow them back to meet their 'uncle' or 'relative' who plans to take a holiday to your country.

These professional conmen/women move around the city solo or as a couple. They target single male travellers on the streets They will approach you in a friendly manner, asking you the time or other general questions. Then they will ask you where are you from, when you answer, they will supprisingly say they have an uncle that is planning to visit your country.

Soon after some chit-chat, they will try to invite you back to their 'uncle's' home for dinner so you can give him more info. Once there, the 'uncle' will befriend you and in time to come, he will try to talk you into a sure-win 'gambling' session with some investor. It's usually a game of poker where he assures that you will win big time if you follow his orders. You usually end up losing up to the thousands due to greed and the blame will be put on you. They will have a alternate way out of this by getting you to use your credit card or to TT money from back home to pay off the balance owed. Then, you will be dropped off in the city somewhere dead broke. They do not harm you. All they want is your money.

These conmen/women are usually from the Phillipines residing here on tourist visa's. They are usually found around the tourist areas. Many cheap hotels and inn's have little posters of this scam pinned up on the walls to warn the travellers.

This is one of the scams I found out from a hotel operator as one of his backpacking guest got tricked into it. He was US$15,000 poorer after that ordeal.

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