Cambodia Expats Online: Forum | News | Information | Blog

Is Steve (name could be wrong) the Grifter a negro Khmerican guy, thirties, wiry, furtive, around 5'8"? Just tried the SR sob story on us in suburban TTP. While he was trying it on with me, staff from Sesame noodle bar were letting Mrs Stroppy know he's on the con. The classic move was telling us not to trust the tuktuk driver I was speaking to, a personal contact of mine, as 'they're all dodge'.

I can confirm that this guy is a con artist and can whip up quite a story to encourage you to open your wallet.

As soon as I started making calls to the people he was supposedly trying to get to, he got very nervous and moved on. The guy is so much of a legend he's almost an urban myth, I just didn't think fast enough to get a selfie with him.

You know everyone talks about this cons but I have yet been approached or anything of the sort.


Bullshit artist on the other hand....Holyyy fuck 9/10 expats.

The Add Jay wrote:You know everyone talks about this cons but I have yet been approached or anything of the sort.


Bullshit artist on the other hand....Holyyy fuck 9/10 expats.

Not so, not so. Hey, want to buy a bridge in Sydney?

stroppy Ill use western union...go and pick up the money! We can work together...friendship and business separate.

Let's do it! YOLO!

StroppyChops wrote:Is Steve (name could be wrong) the Grifter a negro Khmerican guy, thirties, wiry, furtive, around 5'8"? Just tried the SR sob story on us in suburban TTP. While he was trying it on with me, staff from Sesame noodle bar were letting Mrs Stroppy know he's on the con. The classic move was telling us not to trust the tuktuk driver I was speaking to, a personal contact of mine, as 'they're all dodge'.

My own Steve the Scammer story below. Also last week I was approached by one of the Filipino Card Game Scammers -- "Hello, I LOVE your glasses where you buy them .... wait -- i want to ask you something" as I blew past him.

A few months ago, I was approached by a young man (Mid Late 20s) of Asian descent but with a distinctly American accent --- with a bit of the "Gangsta" edge that you hear some young Young Asian Americans use. He claimed to be from Laos but raised in the states. His story was something along the lines of --- visiting Cambodia for first time to visit friend but friend not arrive PP until Monday. Lost passport, wallet blah blah blah --- wants to go to USA embassy but it's Friday night so he has to wait until Monday. No money for room to sleep blah blah blah --- Food to eat blah blah blah ..... but what was unusual was that he specifically mentioned that he had gone to Cadillac for help (mentioned the owner by name) who in turned sent him to California 2 (Where he also mentioned the owner by name) as it was an American owned place with rooms. He said the owner would not help him because he had just been stiffed by another guest.

I sent him on his way --- actually I suggested if he had no room to sleep in he could go to Pontoon and dance the hours away; but he did not seem terribly receptive

If it was a scam, it was a well researched one.

It's too bad == I might help people == but there is no way I give $$$ to anyone on Riverside no matter how "good" the story might be. Scammers ruin good will for everyone.

With us, the story involved needing to get to the International Christian Assembly urgently as 'he was already late' and they were going to help him 'after the problem in SR'. He really got uncomfortable when our corner tuktuk driver, coincidentally a devout Christian, knew exactly where this was (near the American Assembly) and offered to take him there for free. By this time the other girl was in Mrs Stroppy's ear, and Steve's plan was falling apart.

He has tried to hit me up for cash with different sob stories on at least 3 different occasions.. stories that sound similar to the ones mentioned above, Once on the riverside, once near Russian Market, and once we was near my old apt. He sure does cuss a lot for a person trying to get you to part with your cash. He got nothing from me.