How To Recognize A Scam
- If your contacts don’t have a “Google My Business” (GMB) account, it’s a definite 100% scam. Scammers will take your deposit and become unreachable once you arrive in Thailand. You won’t be able to file a complaint with the police or their GMB account. At that point, it’s too late to do anything but accept the loss of money and try to make the most of your time here despite the unfortunate situation.
- If they don’t have any reviews on their Facebook (FB) page, don’t ever pay a deposit to anyone. This is similar to the Google reviews; it’s a red flag if there are no reviews on their FB page.
- If they don’t have any reviews on Trip Advisor (TA), it’s also a red flag. Just like with GMB and FB, don’t pay a deposit to anyone who doesn’t have reviews on their TA page.
- If they respond instantly to all of your messages, it’s suspicious. As an event organizer, it’s impossible to reply immediately to all messages. Most of your time should be spent organizing events and ensuring maximum client satisfaction. A party planner who is too focused on getting deposits from clients won’t be providing the best service.
- It is not recommended to trust videos sent by individuals who claim to be party organizers, as they may have been stolen and used for malicious purposes. Scammers often use these videos to gain the trust of potential clients. However, legitimate party planners value the privacy of their clients and would not publicly share photos or videos from their events. They would keep such videos as souvenirs shared only among trusted friends, in order to protect the privacy of their clients. If someone claims to have obtained these videos with the agreement of the clients, it is recommended to verify this information by requesting contact information for the clients to confirm. Scammers may have obtained these videos through unethical means, which will be further discussed in the “Scam Tips” section.
- If the party planner you are dealing with does not have a legal company in Thailand, it is a clear indication that they are likely to be scammers. While it is not uncommon for bachelor party planners to charge clients without VAT, they still need to have a legal structure in place. To confirm if the organization you are dealing with is legitimate, you can request their company affidavit or register of commerce, which should have been updated within the past 6 months. If they are unable to provide this documentation, it is best to avoid them altogether. If they do provide the documentation and you still fall victim to a scam, you can use this information to take legal action against them. It is important to note their license number or VAT number as this will help you trace their company ID.
- The rates offered for the required service are too cheap. Quality service always comes at a price. However, scammers often offer unrealistically low rates to entice clients to pay a deposit. While it is common to pay a deposit early to secure services like girls, yachts, or villas (usually 2 weeks to 1 month in advance), if the rate is unusually low, it is likely a scam. To give you an idea, anything less than 6,000 THB for party girls/bikini babes in Bangkok, less than 22,000 THB for a party-friendly yacht in Pattaya or Phuket, and less than 22,000 THB for a party-friendly villa in Pattaya or Phuket is a scam. Always remember that you get what you pay for. Pay the right price for the right service, pay cheap for low-quality service, and if you pay cheaper than cheap, it’s most likely a scam.
- If the party planner cannot receive you in their office in Bangkok, it is a red flag that they may be a scam. Even if they provide you with an address to visit, it is important to verify that the address is legitimate and belongs to their company. Scammers may give out fake addresses to trick clients.
