Fake Monk Arrested for Scamming on Koh Rong Samloem

CEOCambodiaNews · Post by **CEOCambodiaNews** » Sat Sep 07, 2019 6:01 pm

Cambodia Breaking News (Sihanoukville): A 37-year-old man, Run Reaksmei, was arrested on September 07, 2019, at 10:30 am, charged with pretending to be a monk in order to scam people into giving him money, on the island of Koh Rong Samloem , off the coast of Sihanoukville.

The suspect confessed to the crime, and he was sent to Sihanoukville police station on the mainland to follow the legal action.

Post by **Clutch Cargo** » Sat Sep 07, 2019 7:09 pm

At least he looks the part....unlike those fake monks that come and go on Riverside..

Anchor Moy · Post by **Anchor Moy** » Sat Sep 07, 2019 7:57 pm

clutchcargo wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2019 7:09 pm At least he looks the part....unlike those fake monks that come and go on Riverside..

I think there are two different varieties of what they call "fake monks" in Cambodia.
Firstly, there are Cambodians who pose as monks asking local people for money for religious works or for blessings, and they quite often work in gangs going from one town to another. They are dressed in orange robes like the local monks.
The other fake monks are usually Asian foreigners from Vietnam or China who are dressed differently and often target tourist areas like riverside or St 172 in Phnom Penh, selling bracelets and charms.
Both types of these fake monks are scammers.

SternAAlbifrons · Post by **SternAAlbifrons** » Sun Sep 08, 2019 2:50 am

I was sitting in hot dusty bus heading somewhere up north.
Across the isle was one of those chinese looking "monks", in that different shade of mustard that you often see the scammers wear. I kind of sat there and iindulgently looked down on him as one of these professional phoneys.

Then, mid afternoon piss stop - the driver approaches the "monk" and poses a question - Shaolin??

With that, the middle aged, slightly plump but fit little MONK smiles with glee and childish delight
- and does 60 seconds of the most amazing swirling acrobatic manoeuvres that ended with the bus driver being laid ever so gently on the ground. Better than Bruce Lee.

I look at those "fake" monks with a bit more wariness these days. And smile.