Four foreign nationals were arrested on Wednesday for attempting to cheat a Banteay Meanchey-based businessman out of $10,000.

Lieutenant Colonel Ham Muth, commander of Poipet town military police, said officers had arrested Thai nationals Suwanmalee Chakrit and Itthipolitak Suradeth and Malaysian nationals Ang Wool Boon and Cheah Yew Tong.

“These people cheated the 32-year-old Cambodian businessman by pretending to offer shares of their company, saying he could pay $1,500 every month [in instalments],” Muth said, adding the suspects told the businessman that one share of the company amounted to $10,000.

All four suspects were questioned and charged at Banteay Meanchey’s provincial court yesterday.

Bun Nam Eang, worried his potential business partners were less than legitimate, reported the four men to police who arrested the suspects after discovering they had no company.

“If they are found guilty by the court they will face punishment of three to five years,” Muth added.