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The Notorious Ned Kelly Conned in Cambodia by The Infamous Scammer James Whitlow

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 1:04 pm
by General Mackevili
Posted on the Cambodia Scammers Facebook Page:

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"Well. As much as I hate to admit to being a sucker, I was suckered. I was conned. I lost $1500 to a JAMES WHITLOW who spells his name on Facebook "WHILDLOW" and here is his profile:

https://www.facebook.com/Gezzaaa/

Mr. Whitlow and a Khmer friend of his convinced me that they would be able to sort out the trouble I was having with a particularly nasty landlord, who may in fact get his own write up here by me once I've got the situation sorted, because the Khmer associate presented himself as, and appeared to authentically be, a Military Police Captain. He had a lot of pictures of himself in uniform, that I can attest to. And a fairly nice bike.

I was referred to James Whitlow by a mutual friend, who I shall not name, he has already been yelled at by me enough. And ultimately it was my fault - I handed the money over - I was the credulous sucker in this instance. The buck stops here. Or more precisely, it left from here and went into this asshole's pockets.

Basically: He talks a good game. Drives a Lexus SUV. No idea where he got that from or if it's legal or what. He convinced me that his MP friends could easily intimidate the landlord into coming to more reasonable terms with me and returning my property (as opposed to extorting me, which is what he has been doing to date.)

Mr. Whitlow claimed to be part owner of a hostel called "Funky Flashpackers" in Siem Reap, along with some other guesthouses and such down on the coastal islands. I suspect this is probably not the case. No, indeed. He is in fact a notorious Golden Sorya sexpat, scum of the scum, and he bounces around from guesthouse to guesthouse, back and forth between PP, SR, and Sihanoukville. He is not employed in any legitimate fashion. He is very overstayed on his visa ... On his real passport. He possesses two passports, both of which appear to be him by their photos and look to be authentic, so if I learn the name on the second one I'll update this post. Oh, and he enjoys gambling on "The Fish Game," which is so dumb that it makes my being ripped off by him even more painful a public admission for me to make, but I do so anyways.

What else? He appears to like "DJ" stuff - techno, whatever they call raves these days, that sort of thing. He's British, not sure from where but if I check all those screens I just took I could probably tell you. He was in Thailand for a while and also Singapore for a bit. Bills himself on his profile as an "event promoter," which is ironic given that I actually am one and can back that up with evidence of the actual events I promote, but whatever.

Revel in the schadenfreude or take pity on my stupid ass, but do not trust James or "Jay" Whitlow under any circumstances or for any reason. You'll get burned.

I heard what I wanted to hear, believed what I wished was true, and handed over about $1500 to him in two payments over the course of maybe 48 hours. Sheer idiocy. I know. He then absconded with it and proceeded to taunt me and threaten to blackmail me over some mention I had made of my days as a computer hacker. He claimed to have video of me discussing this point of personal trivia when we met in a coffee shop. I remember the conversation and I think it's pretty obvious what context I was operating in, but it's of no consequence because if he had video of it he'd have shown it to me already. And this blackmail idea of his is actually somewhat comical, given that I haven't been good at that particularly since the days of dial up, but whatever.

So, he's a real charmer. He now sends me the occasional threatening message because I've been unkind enough to object to his taking my money and running off with it instead of providing the mediation services he proffered, and he bizarrely made the mistake of friending me a little earlier this evening to do more of the same, so I was able to screenshot everything from his profile that was on there, and thus I felt I had enough information to write this tribute to him here.

He is - even as I write this - chatting to me and attempting to get me to say incriminating or sensitive information about my dispute with this landlord or about my hacking days 20+ years ago or my other youthful misdeeds and whatever else. No doubt his response to this post will be to smear me in whatever manner he feels people will find plausible. If he does, so be it.

Enough of you know me and know me well enough to know what I'm about and whether I'm a bad person or a good person or somewhere in the middle. I've been here for about 6 years. I have a Khmer fiance from a decent family. I am regularly employed as a teacher (I have a BA, TEFL, Advanced TEFL, and MA-ESL so I'm vastly over-qualified for this job market apparently, no offense to those who are faking it until they make it) and occasionally as an events promoter. I book most of the touring bands that come to Phnom Penh that play certain alternative genres of music. I play in bands here myself. I've written for The Advisor and Khmer440. I'm interviewed about English teaching in the book "Move to Cambodia." People probably have done exactly that, moved here, based at least in part on the somewhat generic advice I've given them therein. You know? I'm not exactly a drifter or an unknown quantity. I'm no James Whitlow, that's for fuckin' sure. =)

My status and activities here at present are entirely legal, whatever some gossipy types may randomly allege in this or any forum, and I contribute to both the economic health and the cultural life of the city (whether you're a fan of metal or punk or not even remotely interested, at least it's something to attend vs nothing at all, right?) So Mr. Whitlow can attempt to paint me in whatever negative light he so chooses as he frantically tries to salvage his reputation or prospects here. I think people will trust their own experiences first. And my experience with James Whitlow tells me that he is a liar, and a thief, and a scum-bag, and, admittedly, a pretty good con-artist."


:popcorn:

Re: The Notorious Ned Kelly Conned in Cambodia by The Infamous Scammer James Whitlow

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 1:30 pm
by General Mackevili
And Ned's already provided an update:

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"UPDATE: I've been told by another friend that this guy has been known to do strong-arm robberies against tourists in their hotel rooms along with his Khmer "MP" friend, perhaps dressed in uniform or something to scare them into compliance. I'm not personally afraid of him from a physical standpoint, but he's probably a sociopath or something and capable of ugly deeds, so approach with caution perhaps."

Re: The Notorious Ned Kelly Conned in Cambodia by The Infamous Scammer James Whitlow

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 1:54 pm
by prahocalypse now
Well. As much as I hate to admit to being a sucker, I was suckered. I was conned. I lost $1500 to a JAMES WHITLOW
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Re: The Notorious Ned Kelly Conned in Cambodia by The Infamous Scammer James Whitlow

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:10 pm
by Digg3r
He convinced me that his MP friends could easily intimidate the landlord into coming to more reasonable terms with me
When you embark on criminal activities it's hard to be sympathetic when you then fall victim to it. Not dissimilar to a drug dealer complaining to the police after getting ripped off.

Re: The Notorious Ned Kelly Conned in Cambodia by The Infamous Scammer James Whitlow

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:15 pm
by prahocalypse now
Digg3r wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:10 pm
He convinced me that his MP friends could easily intimidate the landlord into coming to more reasonable terms with me
When you embark on criminal activities it's hard to be sympathetic when you then fall victim to it. Not dissimilar to a drug dealer complaining to the police after getting ripped off.
It's hard to know which is more stupid: falling for this scam or posting about attempting to bribe a Cambodian military police officer on Facebook.

Re: The Notorious Ned Kelly Conned in Cambodia by The Infamous Scammer James Whitlow

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:38 pm
by General Mackevili

prahocalypse now wrote:
Digg3r wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:10 pm
He convinced me that his MP friends could easily intimidate the landlord into coming to more reasonable terms with me
When you embark on criminal activities it's hard to be sympathetic when you then fall victim to it. Not dissimilar to a drug dealer complaining to the police after getting ripped off.
It's hard to know which is more stupid: falling for this scam or posting about attempting to bribe a Cambodian military police officer on Facebook.
Haha, I think he only fell for it because Mr Whitlow was recommended by a friend. Bribes are illegal in Cambodia? :stir:

Re: The Notorious Ned Kelly Conned in Cambodia by The Infamous Scammer James Whitlow

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:44 pm
by Digg3r
General Mackevili wrote:
prahocalypse now wrote:
Digg3r wrote: Wed Nov 08, 2017 2:10 pm
He convinced me that his MP friends could easily intimidate the landlord into coming to more reasonable terms with me
When you embark on criminal activities it's hard to be sympathetic when you then fall victim to it. Not dissimilar to a drug dealer complaining to the police after getting ripped off.
It's hard to know which is more stupid: falling for this scam or posting about attempting to bribe a Cambodian military police officer on Facebook.
Haha, I think he only fell for it because Mr Whitlow was recommended by a friend. Bribes are illegal in Cambodia? :stir:
Bribes are most definitely illegal. If you ever get arrested for it only a large amount of tea money will make that go away.

Re: The Notorious Ned Kelly Conned in Cambodia by The Infamous Scammer James Whitlow

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 3:58 pm
by General Mackevili
Well, things are heating up! A few updates from Ned:

"UPDATE: I've been told by another friend that this guy has been known to do strong-arm robberies against tourists in their hotel rooms along with his Khmer "MP" friend, perhaps dressed in uniform or something to scare them into compliance. I'm not personally afraid of him from a physical standpoint, but he's probably a sociopath or something and capable of ugly deeds, so approach with caution perhaps.

Actually, at one point when I was ranting about what I'd like to do to the landlord, he did offhandedly say, "Well if you want to do it that way I can go and get 3 guys to come here and break his door down and all that, but this way will be much smoother." Of course, the smoother way meant just lying to me about doing anything at all about it while taking large sums of cash off of me to pay the landlord and pay for the assistance, but you know, that still might have been better than whatever could have happened if he and three guys aggressive enough to pull shit like that had me at their mercy I suppose.

Now he's trying to friend me with a new account named James Whit and he just tried to contact me on WhatsApp but I just uninstalled it instead since I don't use it much. Should I confirm the request for James Whit?

https://www.facebook.com/james.whit.9699

I think not. I think perhaps I've heard enough ludicrous blackmail threats and ominous warnings about what he could do to me and the like. I told him where I was staying. I said, "I'm at 3 Mangos. Come here any time. Ask at the bar. They'll know just what to do." =)

I don't have to friend him to get his idiotic messages, so I'll just check the message instead, no need to give him more than the 10 minutes or so of access to my full profile he's had already. I was able to download all his shit in that time of course, but you know me, I have a lot to say and because there are only like 10 bands that exist in all of Cambodia that anybody goes to see there are hundreds of photos of me playing music and all the other crap that goes with having a life that doesn't revolve around Golden Sorya Mall and collecting all the different diseases one can acquire from its inhabitants.

Oh lovely, he found like the one public post I'd made in the last however many years, by accident it wasn't limited to friends, and promptly began a tirade about how I'm a lying piece of this and that on it. Hahaha. I guess this got to him a little bit, do you think? Sunshine is a wonderful disinfectant, isn't that how the saying goes? You'd think Cambodia would be cleaner in that case, but this might be a good start.

By the way, if he continues with the lying angle I'll go ahead and take the time to relive the nightmare by going back through the message logs and posting screenshots of him taunting me and threatening me and all the rest of it. It's all there. Granted, I threaten him a bit too, but sometimes people do that when they've just been robbed of $1500, you know? I think I might get a pass for my threats by reasonable people that he isn't likely to be granted for the most part. Just a theory.

Can you believe what kind of psychotic narcissist a person must be to rob someone of $1500 while purporting to throw them a lifeline when they need help the most and then get enraged when they get called out on it publicly? I mean ... Really? Like .... No .... I mean ... Reeeeeaaally?

He showed zero interest in "sorting things out" with my landlord or "talking things over" prior to my posting this. No, he was more or less gleeful about it initially and then once the money ran out, I presume, he started messaging me in a foul mood with all kinds of threats of blackmail. Now he say's he's going to ruin my life! Indeed. Call the cops, even! I'd certainly like to hear that emergency dispatch recording.

911: Susaday, 911 emergency services, how can we help you?

James Whitlow: Send the coppers! Send ém quick! This bloke who I conned out of $1500 is telling people on the Internet about it!

911: Just stay calm, sir. Help is on the way. Are you looking at the Internet right now? Try to watch TV or something instead until help arrives.

James Whitlow: I just feel so so so VIOLATED!

He claims that he "will not lose standing over this."

Well ... Yeah ... Because, um, hate to break it to him, but he doesn't have any. None. The places he frequents, the things he does, the people he does them with ... Pretty much scum or people he's trying to con, I have to imagine. Whatever your standing is, if you're standing in Golden Sorya, you're knee deep in shit anyways, but apparently that's lost on him entirely.

My guess is that he's had occasion to change his identity every so slightly online and offline numerous times over the past few years of adventure in SE Asia. He was a slick liar, very very practiced at it. And I'm not just saying that to salvage my pride. He could run his mouth in ways that his written efforts would seem to indicate were impossible. Nothing brilliant, just a lot of bullshit, with the right attitude and confidence, and a mile a minute. Yeah, he's done this before and he'll do it again or try to, you can be sure of that.

Sometimes con-artists trick people. Sometimes they do it in person with fancy lies. Sometimes they do it online using made-up identities. Sometimes they steal identities. But how often do you run into someone with their writing that garbled and unintelligible? I can see why they get along, on that basis, if it is a coincidence, but I doubt that it is since somebody else messaged me tellling me that he's staying there right now.

And it makes little sense for her to go from being his gentle understanding advocate and friend to all-comers to basically saying she'll hand him over to me if I come looking, no further questions asked. That doesn't add up now, does it? Hmmmm. Hi James. Since I know you can read this, asshole. You think you're mad? Think how I felt when you stole my money, you rotten little fuck face. Threaten me all you want, lie about me all you want, it won't matter, people know me here. And a few people seem to know you, but what they know of you, they sure don't seem to like, buddy. Hit the bricks. See if Thailand will let you back in if you promise not to do it again, whatever it is you did to no doubt get exiled from Pattaya or wherever you crawled over here from. Fuck off, buddy, the jig, as they say, is up.

I think I'll keep it that way because I really don't like hearing from him much, for much the same reasons you alluded to in the post above regarding your work as an editor. I'm a little particular about English sometimes, ever since I got a Masters degree in telling people how best to speak it, I have trouble NOT correcting writing that bad. My laptop screen would be covered in red ink after a while.

Please be assured that he is about to attempt to post a bunch of shit about me that is totally fabricated or close to it. Made up wholesale or distortions of things that are partly true or taken out of context. That is what he is doing right now with his access to your group. Feel free to censor him if you don't find his allegations credible. I can give you several hundred references here in Cambodia who would at least shoot down the worst of what he might say, I imagine.

Gavin, we're not in a court of law. Save your defense attorney act for somebody who deserves it. You're just trying to stir the pot which is why you asked my permission to post this to 440 in the first place I imagine. You just want to watch me fight for your amusement. Some days, I'd be up for that, but I'm still dealing with this landlord bullshit and there's just not a lot of time in my schedule right now for additional bullshit, especially if it won't get me my $1500 back. If he wants this thread deleted, he knows my number, he can fucking WING me."


And he posted some harassing messages he's received from James Whitlow:

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Is this going to be an expat was worse than the Russian invasion of Sihanoukville a couple years ago?

Re: The Notorious Ned Kelly Conned in Cambodia by The Infamous Scammer James Whitlow

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 4:09 pm
by rick_o'shea
Crack heads. Leave them both to it.

Re: The Notorious Ned Kelly Conned in Cambodia by The Infamous Scammer James Whitlow

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 6:30 pm
by frank lee bent
every bad thing i have heard about over the years, somehow involves gsm
walkabout at least kept a lid on it