Living as a Single Farang in the Jungle: The Story of Cheating, Forgery, Theft, Abuse of Trust (5)
This true story takes place in Thailand. But Lung addie wants to emphasize that it could happen anywhere in the world, in Belgium as well as in the Netherlands. It takes place in the world of insurance and investments, so it's about MONEY, the sludge of the earth. Part 5 today.
Now that the inner workings of Lung addie are known, an in-depth investigation and study into the fraudulent operation of the agent can begin.
The fraudulent operation:
When the customer pays, he receives a 'proof of payment' from Tan. However, according to the investigation, this is not proof of payment that the customer receives, but the 'payment reminder', intended for the agent. This was drawn up in Thai, so the customer (Farang) had a hard time reading it and it all seems to be officially in order. The names, which the agent filled in, also in Thai, were not her own name, but those of PAU. (without him knowing anything about it)
At the office and to the company, TAN declares that the customer has dropped out and did not want/could not continue with the insurance…. The money paid, if paid in cash, simply disappears into her pocket and, if by bank transfer, simply into her own account.
She estimates the chances of a possible claim:
the age of the insured
his/her health condition
Thai or Farang
..........
…. so the probability of claiming is estimated. If it concerns a Thai partner, the chance of a claim is much smaller than with a Farang. A Thai is not so quick to go to a private hospital in case of illness. They just don't go for a snot and if they do have to rely on medical assistance, they still have a much closer state hospital available, where they can use the 30THB rule.
The reasons given by the agent for terminating the insurance or not accepting the investment formula are multiple and can sometimes also be called punishment:
– the Farang has ended the relationship with his Thai girlfriend and therefore no longer pays for her
– the Farang has returned to its home country and therefore no longer pays
– the Farang suddenly lacks money and could no longer pay
– the Farang changed insurance company due to moving to another region
– the best part: Lung addie sent his Mae Baan and girlfriend back to Isaan and she, Tan, was now Lung addie's new girlfriend !!!!!! (Lung addie has a tie without knowing it)
This way it can take a long time before anything comes to the surface. If there is no hospitalization claim within the year, the sheep of 1 year are dry.
With the investments, it can even take up to 8 years for a claim to reach the final sum, unless the investor dies in the meantime, see the Odilon case, which gave rise to the doubts. A lot can happen in 8 years.
Investment life insurance fraud:
Here it is about the more profitable larger money, minimum 200.000THB / year. Here, too, fraud is done elegantly and in a way that is not just transparent.
The same system of handing over 'payment reminder' as 'receipt' is used. This method works very well and cannot be easily recognized by outsiders. This method is already applied from the first moment, when the first payment of investment has to be made. The company is simply informed that the deal is canceled and the customer drops out. The provisional policy will be sent to the customer. Since he does not know the internal workings, he does not notice that something is missing: the definitive red stamp is missing together with the signature of the senior employee and the badge is not electronically activated.
The names used on the 'receipt' are again those of PAU and the signature is an inextricable scribble…..
The research also reveals other issues, including:
for a person, the beneficiary of his life insurance, included in the hospitalization insurance, was not referred to as his Thai daughter but as the insurance agent herself, Tan!
The personal, preliminary investigation has now progressed far enough for further steps to be taken: the headquarters in Bangkok.
To be continued.
I can still understand that people don't see the difference between 'payment reminder' and 'receipt'. Although there is also a risk if the customer has previously had a policy with another company, they are less likely to dismiss it as 'jargon'. Same story with the policy, if you don't know that a stamp and scribble are missing then it looks good.
But if her own name is on the beneficiary party, shouldn't the customer notice that when he or she reads the papers? So I don't understand that.
If everything is in Thai, including the name and a "trust" has arisen, this is clearly abused.
Reading an investment - insurance paper, especially in Thai, is almost impossible for a layman (farang) and this person gambled on it and abused it!
I understand that there is trust, and I also know that most foreigners cannot read Thai. But even then it seems to me that with a view to mistakes (a person also makes them if you trust him/her 100%):
1. your own name is expected somewhere on the piece in western script, possibly (also) in Thai. But you should read that anyway to make sure that the name and other personal data are correct, so that no one can fall over later about incorrect data: “Rab Vunkers, born 1867 in Naderlund, no you are not”. I am only a short stayer but documents such as reservation whether or not in Thai or English always had my name somewhere in western letters (Rob).
1b. It is useful if you at least know your own (first) name in Thai script if you are bound in Thailand through banking, insurance, etc. Even the foreigner who does not speak Thai can learn that by heart.
2. As 1, but with the details of the beneficiary(s). It is nevertheless essential that one can find that person when the policyholder is no longer there.
Now to Thai partner (or similar) - also a layman - easily check the names etc., so it is possible that Tan did not commit this fraud with foreigners with a Thai partner who would check the papers again? And if caught, of course say 'oops, mistake' and still fill in the correct names? With a relationship of trust you can of course try that if you are that cunning.
Or were the papers so unclear/complicated that only someone with knowledge of the matter could discover errors and fraud? The latter would of course be completely tying the cat to the bacon.
Dear Rob,
how many Frangs do you think will recognize even their own name written in Thai? Not every farang is a scribe, you already notice that when they have to write in their own language, even that hardly succeeds, examples enough.
Lodewijk sees it correctly, try to read technical writings yourself, it may still be in English, let alone in Thai.
I am afraid that few know their own name in Thai, I must confess. Seems very clumsy to me because people at the bank, migration, creditors / suppliers, etc. simply make mistakes. When staying in a country for a long time, it is useful to be able to read your own name and address in the local script (writing is another thing in that case). Then you can at least see whether a letter or the like. is addressed to you and that is something that almost everyone should be able to learn, you don't have to be a writing scholar for it. The same goes for the Thai and other foreigners in the Netherlands, some bake little of the Dutch language, but I hope that at least name and address in Western writing will linger for when information from the bank, immigration, etc. appear under the nose. We all know the stories of people (farang and Thai, n Europe and Thailand) who got into trouble because the name, address, bank account, date of birth or nationality were incorrect at an agency?
But assuming that indeed most farangs cannot even recognize their own name/address in Thai and the importance of it escapes… then that makes the pond for fraud and mistakes a lot easier. The single farang in particular is an easy victim, although she can of course also try to estimate the likelihood that a customer with a Thai partner will arrange the financial affairs together with the partner. Some farang do not give their lover full access to a paper (unwise, if something happens to the gentleman, the Thai partner will have unnecessary difficulties). Tan then has such a nice pool of potential victims, and as long as she is not too conspicuously out of step with other insurance agents, she can get away with this.
Dear Rob V.
One more comment if I may.
In the many documents I received from the court and lawyers, only a few times did my name appear in the salutation: Mr. Lodewijk .... Also with insurance papers. Also no English translation which I find very weak of the government!
The Thai language has no capital letters and dots, which means that your name in Thai is absorbed in this "mush" of characters, also address, etc.
Because I have written my name, etc. separately, I can manage it, but it doesn't make me very happy apart from trying to understand the content later, which sometimes comes across as crooked. Even my name is displayed differently.
Then try to understand the content very critically! Not an easy task!
It is strange that the insurance company does not notice that all of Tan's customers are dropping out.
Read carefully: not all customers drop out. Only those who would subscribe to the investment and, as I wrote, there were only a few. So not that surprising since we are talking about larger amounts here. However, enough of the customers who only took out hospitalization insurance remained unnoticed. Even with a long introduction and clarification, it is still not clear enough for some…. and then say it's too long.
Dear lung addie, have not read that anyone finds it too long-winded. I do think, but that doesn't mean anything, that you do your very best to tell in detail how Tan proceeded. I myself catch myself that this causes my attention to your story to slacken and that is also reinforced by the fact that the story appears in several episodes on the Thailand blog. In any case, I hope that those who put money through Tan, or thought they had taken out insurance, will not be left empty-handed at the end of this series.
Of course, it must be invested. The forecast on my mobile is not always correct.
Dear Addie,
Very interesting story, but I think it's a pity that it is told so widely. My attention also slackens because of this , too bad !
Best regards,
Erik
I have read it carefully, but only from estimating the 'probability of claiming' it can be concluded that Tan does not do this for all customers. But okay, so all investment clients are dropping out and some of the clients of hospitalization insurance. Odd that it doesn't stand out. Precisely because investment insurance involves large amounts, that should be a reason that it stands out. After all, society is missing out on large amounts of money. Don't feel so attacked Lung Addie, I find it interesting to read.