Cambodia News, (Phnom Penh): After receiving orders from General Sao Sokha, Deputy Commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, Major General Sea Sambath, Commissioner of Crime Investigation, and Colonel Sim Channara, Director of the Office of Criminal Investigation and Suppression, received a complaint from a Cambodian man, Chhay Sambath, against ASHU GEORGE EBOT, a 38-year-old man from Cameroon, residing in Phnom Penh, charging him with committing "fraud, aggravated theft and aggravated robbery" on November 30, 2020 in Phnom Penh.

Special Forces from the Criminal Police Office of the National Police organized a 'sting' operation, and arrested the suspect at 0:30am on December 9, 2020 in front of ABA Chamkar Dong Bank, Street 217, Sangkat Cheung Ek, Khan Dangkor, Phnom Penh.


The authorities then took the Cameroonian man to his residence at Apartment Baly 3, Room B16, 17th Floor, Keo Chanda Street, Khan Chroy Changva, Phnom Penh, and seized the following exhibits:
- Black paper for making dollar bills
- Ink bottles for mixing to make dollars, 1 big bottle, 5 small bottles
- 1 bag of white powder, 1 bottle of oil
- $ 7,100 and $ 500 cash
- a Toyota Yaris car, license plate number 2I 7337

The suspect was sent to court by the Office of Investigation and Suppression of Crimes of the National Gendarmerie.

The original report mentions:

ជនសង្ស័យ នៅតែបន្តធ្វើសកម្មភាព Charts តាម WhatsApp ទារប្រាក់ពីជនរងគ្រោះបន្ថែមទៀត ចំនួន ៣៥ ម៉ឺន ដែលខ្លួនជនសង្ស័យបានទទួលប្រាក់លើកទី១ ចំនួន ២៨៧,៥០០ ដុល្លារ រួចហើយ។

Am I to understand that the victim already prepaid $287,500?

Speechless.

I always have a sneaking admiration for counterfeiters. Making even a reasonable reproduction of USD is a complex and highly skilled process, requiring a standard of draftsmanship and artistic talent way above the norm. I wonder how much more successful a guy like that would be if he used his talents legally?

This sounds like the black money scam, (not to be confused with counterfeiting) sometimes also known as the "black dollar scam" or "wash wash scam", is a scam where con artists attempt to fraudulently obtain money from a victim by convincing them that piles of banknote-sized paper in a trunk or a safe are actually currency notes that have been dyed to avoid detection by authorities. The victim is persuaded to pay fees and purchase chemicals to remove the dye, with the promise of a share in the proceeds.

Deefer wrote: ↑Sun Dec 13, 2020 9:21 am This sounds like the black money scam, (not to be confused with counterfeiting) sometimes also known as the "black dollar scam" or "wash wash scam", is a scam where con artists attempt to fraudulently obtain money from a victim by convincing them that piles of banknote-sized paper in a trunk or a safe are actually currency notes that have been dyed to avoid detection by authorities. The victim is persuaded to pay fees and purchase chemicals to remove the dye, with the promise of a share in the proceeds.

Interesting, and sort of a high tech scam. I bet there's plenty who fall for it.

lagrange wrote: ↑Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:39 am I always have a sneaking admiration for counterfeiters. Making even a reasonable reproduction of USD is a complex and highly skilled process, requiring a standard of draftsmanship and artistic talent way above the norm. I wonder how much more successful a guy like that would be if he used his talents legally?

Yes the task would be difficult with all the security measures these days. But the big kicker is the paper. Can tell by feel right away. I remember in the souvenir shops in New Orleans, and probably other places, seeing big bags of US notes that had been shredded as a weird souvenir. I wondered if you could, through some chemical process, make a slurry of that and reconstitute it as paper. It might fool people. Or the feel might not be quite right because the fibers would be smaller or shorter.

Marty wrote:Yes the task would be difficult with all the security measures these days. But the big kicker is the paper. Can tell by feel right away. I remember in the souvenir shops in New Orleans, and probably other places, seeing big bags of US notes that had been shredded as a weird souvenir. I wondered if you could, through some chemical process, make a slurry of that and reconstitute it as paper. It might fool people. Or the feel might not be quite right because the fibers would be smaller or shorter.

The North Koreans could tell you..
That is if they don’t shoot you first.

They’ve got the same presses, the same plates, the same paper, same thread injector as the one’s at the US Treasury. And a big reason to counterfeit (need for hard currency). Easily passing any ordinary sniff test.

Only a forensic exam by a senior Treasury agent under magnifying glass or microscope can tell the difference.

newkidontheblock wrote: ↑Sun Dec 13, 2020 10:32 am

Marty wrote:Yes the task would be difficult with all the security measures these days. But the big kicker is the paper. Can tell by feel right away. I remember in the souvenir shops in New Orleans, and probably other places, seeing big bags of US notes that had been shredded as a weird souvenir. I wondered if you could, through some chemical process, make a slurry of that and reconstitute it as paper. It might fool people. Or the feel might not be quite right because the fibers would be smaller or shorter.

The North Koreans could tell you..
That is if they don’t shoot you first.

They’ve got the same presses, the same plates, the same paper, same thread injector as the one’s at the US Treasury. And a big reason to counterfeit (need for hard currency). Easily passing any ordinary sniff test.

Only a forensic exam by a senior Treasury agent under magnifying glass or microscope can tell the difference.

NK notes showed up in ATMs around town circa 2008 - 2009. Good fakes, but not perfect if you knew what to look for. Feel was off a bit and the security strip did not fluoresce the proper red or pink color.

On to the OP and what other commenters stated, yup, the old black money scam.

Felgerkarb wrote: ↑Sun Dec 13, 2020 11:02 am NK notes showed up in ATMs around town circa 2008 - 2009. Good fakes, but not perfect if you knew what to look for. Feel was off a bit and the security strip did not fluoresce the proper red or pink color.

Any current intel?

I'll split the reward dough with you.

https://kh.usembassy.gov/reward-up-to-5-million/