A woman who gave counterfeit $100 bills to monks at four pagodas over the past week during Pchum Ben ceremonies—asking for $70 in return each time—was arrested in Pursat province on Wednesday morning, officials said.
After handing over a banknote at Wat Prek in Phnom Kravanh district, 57-year-old Chum Vanny asked for change and was arrested on the spot, with police onto her routine, said district police chief Vong Saveth.
“We arrested this woman at 9:38 a.m. while she was using a fake $100 note to donate $30 to the monk at the pagoda,” Mr. Saveth said.
During questioning, the woman admitted to passing counterfeit $100 notes at three other pagodas in the past week, and pocketing $210 in return, he said.
The pagoda that Ms. Vanny defrauded prior to Wat Prek raised the alarm with police after monks discovered the note was phony, Mr. Saveth said.
Ms. Vanny was held at the district police station overnight and is set to appear before the provincial court today, where she is expected to be charged with fraud, he said.
