In a captivating tale of deception and intrigue, two men from Liberia found themselves at the center of an audacious scam that left a Thai businessman ruing the loss of a hefty $90,000. This clever ruse involved swapping counterfeit banknotes for the real deal in a gold-selling scheme that could rival any crime novel. But like all good stories, it came crashing down under the ever-watchful eyes of the law. At the helm of this tale is Pol Col Pansa Amarapitak, chief of the Thong Lor police station, who orchestrated the unraveling of this intricate caper.
The suspects at the heart of the story are Solomon Varney Gaddeh, 32, and Yousouf Cherif, 50. Their plot reached its zenith one fateful evening on the bustling pavements of Udomsuk Road in Bangkok’s vibrant Bang Na district. On a late Saturday night, the curtain fell on their escapades as the astute police officers swooped in, apprehending them and bringing an end to their fraudulent dance.
But how did it all begin? It started with an unsuspecting Thai businessman, eager to strike gold. The businessman, who owns a company dealing in iron and gold ore imports, lodged a complaint that reads like an episode from a drama series. On January 2nd, he was allegedly swindled out of $90,000 in cash by two supposedly eager gold sellers.
A charismatic online presence known only as Richard had reached out to him through the labyrinth of social media, specifically Facebook. Richard’s offer was one that any shrewd businessman might find tempting: 2kg of gold bars at a price conveniently below market value. With dollar signs in his eyes, the businessman agreed to a cash exchange in the innocuous setting of the Ibis Bangkok hotel car park, nestled on Soi Sukhumvit 24.
The stage was set. Instead of meeting Richard in person, our protagonist found himself face-to-face with two unfamiliar actors: Mr. Gaddeh and Mr. Yousouf, Richard’s so-called minions. With a silver tongue, Richard, over the phone, guided our entrepreneur to a more secluded outdoor parking space—presumably to settle the grand exchange without prying eyes.
In this theatrical setting, as the Thai businessman inspected the glittering gold bars, his mind was momentarily put at ease. The Liberian duo, comfortably situated in the back seats of his vehicle, made a seemingly benign request: to count the $90,000 in fresh banknotes nestled on the front passenger seat.
Here’s where the plot thickens. In the midst of their counting, like a scene from a heist film, came a cleverly timed video call. Richard, somewhere behind the scenes, visualized the art of distraction perfectly, allowing his accomplices the luxury of time needed to discreetly replace the genuine cash with laughable forgeries.
The handover was complete, all under the businessman’s unsuspecting gaze. Soon after, the Liberians, feigning forgetfulness, spun a yarn about forgotten passports, and vanished with promises of a quick return. They took the gleaming gold bars with them, leaving our businessman waiting… and waiting.
As the minutes turned to endless minutes, with no sign of his new “friends,” a nagging suspicion began to gnaw at the businessman. With Richard unreachable, reality struck. Acting on instinct, he examined the banknotes, feeling the distinctly coarse paper under his fingertips. His worst fears confirmed at a nearby bank: the money was as fake as the promises made.
Despite the initial victory in capturing the culprits, the investigation revealed even deeper layers of intrigue. Chief Pol Col Pansa noted the suspects confessed, albeit suggesting that the ill-gotten cash was already whisked away overseas. And, in a final twist deserving of a sequel, police believe there are more players in this game—a further investigation suggests at least three more accomplices may still lurk in the shadows.
In the ever-unfolding story of crime and cunning, this gold-selling scam reminds us all of the timeless theme: not everything that glitters is gold, and in the world of wheeling and dealing, what goes around often comes around.
Wow, the audacity of these scammers is impressive! Unfortunately, greed makes people do dumb things, like trusting strangers on social media.
Totally agree. This businessman should have known better. Haven’t we learned anything from all those Netflix scam documentaries?
Exactly, it’s like they ignored all the red flags and just went ahead anyway. Street smarts are seriously underrated!
It’s not just about street smarts, but education on such scams should be better. How are people still falling for these tricks in 2025?
Part of me wonders if the businessman knew what he was getting into. Maybe he thought he could cheat them first?
What I find surprising is how these scams keep evolving yet still manage to snare so many people. Why aren’t authorities doing more to prevent these?
It’s really difficult for any authority to keep up with scammers. Technology evolves, and so do scam tactics. It’s an endless cat and mouse game.
I get that it’s hard, but more public awareness campaigns could really help. We need to educate folks!
Well, no one forced them to part with their money. Greed creates victims. We should focus on teaching people contentment.
Richard’s mystery makes this sound like an Agatha Christie novel. I can’t help but wonder if we’ll ever know the full story.
I’m amazed they got away with pulling this off so smoothly until the final act. Also, why didn’t the businessman validate the gold on the spot?
Probably got blinded by the ‘deal’ he thought he was getting. Common sense took a back seat.
I feel sorry for the businessman. This could happen to anyone if they’re caught off guard.
Not really. I’ve never lost $90,000 to strangers before. I’m not sure why we’re sympathizing with a lack of due diligence.
Because life isn’t always so black and white. People make mistakes, and it’s easy to judge from the sidelines.
Following this because I’m curious about the ‘more accomplices’. Will they ever capture the whole crew?
Doubt it. These guys are shadows in the underworld. They’ll vanish as quickly as they appeared.
The scam was elaborate, but what kind of businessman does that without proper verification? Almost seems like a rookie mistake!
Let this be a lesson to everyone: verify before you trust. Stories like this serve as a cautionary tale.
Could this incident escalate into a diplomatic issue between Thailand and Liberia? Curious to see how politics plays into this.
Possibly, but it’s likely to remain a law enforcement matter unless linked to broader international crime syndicates.
I hope the businessman recovers from this loss. It’s humiliating to fall for something like this.
If you lose $90k like that, take it as an expensive lesson. Humiliation is a small price to pay.
This could be made into a movie. The plot is almost too good to be true, like a classic heist film!
I’m curious about the legal repercussions. Will these guys face long jail time or find a loophole to escape punishment?
If found guilty, they’ll likely face serious time. But your point is valid; the justice system can be unpredictable.