New Scam: In It for the Gifts

An extra order worth US$ 525,000 is always welcome. Especially when it is placed by a new customer from the huge Chinese market.
No wonder the people at Scanmach Asia were pleased last September, when the Chinese company (China) Zhengzhou Jintai Import & Export trading Co. Ltd. contacted Scanmach Asia.
Apparently the Chinese were very interested in buying wood working machines worth more than half a million US$. Arne L. Christensen and Palle Borgselius from Scanmach went to Zhengzhou to meet the Chinese customer and sign the contract.
And things started off quite well. The Manager Yuan Shi Jie, the General Manager Hu Jian Hua and the Deputy General Manager Wang Chang Jiang met with the Danes upon arriving Zhengzhou and negotiations began.
“We discussed the contract shortly with Mr. Hu Jian Hua and Mr. Wang Chang Jiang before Mr. Yuan Shi Jie took over the final discussions. The contract was signed and stamped by Mr. Hu Jian Hua later the same day,” Arne L. Christensen and Palle Borgselius explain.
With a signed and stamped contract everything seemed to be in order. Except for one thing.
“During our meeting Mr. Yuan Shi Jie mentioned that we have to give some gifts for the General Manager, Deputy General Manager and also the accountant and accountant assistant”, the Danes explain.
Later that night gifts in form of cash was handed over to the Chinese. The Scanmach people could not withdraw as much cash from the bank as the Chinese wanted, but the Chinese had a solution.
“We could borrow money from the company and transfer it to the Chinese company when we got back to Thailand.”
After returning to Thailand the Danes realized that the Chinese interest in the Scanmach machinery was nothing but a hoax. “( China ) Zhengzhou Jintai Import & Export trading Co., Ltd. never paid any down payment as stated in the contract, and none of the people in the company does answer any e-mail or phone calls!!!,” the frustrated Danes explain.
“This scenario is all about gifts. The Chinese try to get as much money from the business men visiting the company. It is important that as many as possible hear about this case, so we can stop this kind of “business””, Arne L. Christensen and Palle Borgselius explain.