Japan travel scam: Arrive at airport, no airplane
After selling thousands of Thai tourists cheap trips to Japan, fake travel agent suddenly disappears.
After selling thousands of Thai tourists cheap trips to Japan, fake travel agent suddenly disappears.
TOURISM & FRAUD
Travel agent strands hundreds at Suvarnabhumi
12/04/2017
Sutthiwit Chayutworakan
Tuesday night, thousands of Thai tourists were left waiting at Suvarnabhumi airport for a flight to Japan that never happened.
More than 50 police officers were sent from the nearby Samut Prakan police station to join tourist police and Suvarnabhumi airport police to investigate what happen.
The culprit appears to be a company that normally sells vitamins and food supplements with the rather suspect name WealthEver. The company had claimed to be arranging Songkran trips to Japan for people.
The Office of the Consumer Protection announced that the company WealthEver was never registered with them for any service including even the sale of food supplements. (Facebook link in Thai here).
Police investigate the Japan travel scam.
WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED?
According to the testimony of the disappointed and angry tourists, each paid between 9,700 and 20,000 baht for a trip to Osaka by charter flight.
They were told their flights would be between Tuesday night and Sunday.
When the would-be tourists arrived at Gate 1 of the departure hall at 8pm at Suvarnabhumi as directed, there was no sign of the promised WealthEver representative to guide them to check-in counter for their flights.
The Facebook page of the company disappeared from the internet suddenly also.
The holidaymakers then checked all airlines and found no charter flights had been booked for their trips.
Some tourists did not have transport back home so had to stay at airport.
JUST THE BEGINNING: MORE SCAMMED GROUPS SCHEDULED TO SHOW UP AT AIRPORT
Authorities believe that another large group of people will show up at the airport on Wednesday for more flights that don't exist.
They will also have fallen victim to the the WealthEver Japan travel scam, a promise of cheap budget trips to Japan.
Lots of time at the airport for scammed travelers when flights to Japan turn out to be fake.
NO NEED TO COME TO THE AIRPORT, IF YOU WERE SCAMMED
There is no need for other victims of the scam to come to the airport, they can file a complaint at police stations where they live.
All information will be handed over to the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), which will be the lead agency handling the case.
Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul talked with some tourists at the airport but refused to speak with the media.
Disappointed children as whole families scammed by fake travel agent.
SOME SCAMMED TOURISTS STRANDED AT AIRPORT WITHOUT TRANSPORT BACK HOME
Many passengers left the airport after filing a complaint.
They realised they were not going to Japan.
Yet other travelers had to stay at Suvarnabhumi because they lacked transport to return home during the Songkran break.
Nirun Saentaweesuk from Ubon Ratchathani said he bought a travel package for 88,200 baht for himself and nine persons.
"I've decided to meet Suvarnabhumi airport police after finding out that I was conned," he said.
One of the would-be holidaymakers shows a brochure promoting the trip to Japan by WealthEver. (Photo by Suthiwit Chayutworakan)
Passengers were stranded at Suvarnabhumi airport on Tuesday night after discovering there was no trip to Japan after all. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1231475/travel-agent-strands-hundreds-at-suvarnabhumi
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