Durian fruit scam in Thailand
Durian fruit – also known as the “king of fruits” – is one of the most controversial fruits out there. While some love it, others have a deep-seated hatred for its distinctive smell.
Recently, fruit has been growing in popularity, resulting in yearly rises in durian prices.
Hence, this could explain why a Thai woman and her neighbours lost ฿200,000 (~USD6,000) in a local durian fruit scam, due to the lucrative nature of the industry.
Here’s the full story of how a durian MLM went wrong.
More local stories:
- Thai triplets got into med school at the same time
- Thai rat breeder sells rats to locals to use in cooking
- Lottery salesman dresses up as a Thai ghost for marketing
An acquaintance turned durian scammer
Miss Boonsong Thaiying, a 64-year-old woman, owns a durian garden along with two other neighbours in Rayong.
Earlier in May 2021, an acquaintance named “Man” offered to pick and sell ฿200,000 (~USD6,000) worth of durians – around ฿100 (~USD3) per kilo – for Miss Thaiying and her friends, with a promise to pay them back once the sales have been made.
Image credit: PoliceMagazine24
However, the durian garden owners only received ฿30,000 (~USD950) via a transfer before the man disappeared, leaving behind no way to contact him, according to Workpoint News 23.
Miss Thaiying and her neighbours decided to report the case to the police after his wife shared that he had not returned home in four days.
They gain a warrant to steal their durians back
After getting the green light from the police, Miss Thaiying and her neighbours travelled back to the scammer’s house to “steal” ฿30,000 (~USD960) worth of leftover durians found lying on the floor.
Miss Thaiying holding the police’s warrant to take the leftover durians for sale
Image credit: PoliceMagazine24
However, Miss Thaiying expressed that she wasn’t able to sell the durians at a good price since most of the batch was already over-ripened. Yet, the local community did their best to help by buying all of the leftover fruits.
Not every friendly face can be trusted
What we can learn from this story is that not everyone can be trusted, even if they’re a familiar face. It’s a shame that Miss Thaiying and her neighbours were taken advantage of.
However, it’s quite heartwarming that other members of the community tried their best to help Miss Thaiying and her neighbours in times of trouble.
More scam stories:
- Indian bride dumps husband-to-be at the altar
- Local dealer refuses to pay lotto winners ฿74 mill
- Thai “nun” gets arrested for fraud
Cover images adapted from: PoliceMagazine24
Enjoying The Smart Local Thailand? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more stories like this.