WARNING: $10 Massage Shop in Phnom Penh — My Cash Was Switched
I want to share my experience and warn people who use cheap massage shops in Phnom Penh.
A few days ago, I went to a cheap massage shop (around $10). When I arrived, they asked me to put my belongings in a locker and locked it. I assumed my wallet and cash were safe and didn't check everything carefully when I left.
Today, I went to a supermarket and tried to pay with a $100 bill. The cashier told me that the bill was counterfeit.
I later checked the rest of my cash and realized that I had more counterfeit money. I estimate that I lost around $800 in total.
I cannot prove 100% that the money was switched at the massage shop because I had exchanged some USD previously, so I don't want to falsely accuse a specific business. However, the fact that my belongings had been kept in their locker and I discovered the counterfeit cash afterward makes me very concerned.
Please be careful if a cheap massage shop asks you to put your wallet and cash in a locker. Check your money immediately after leaving, especially $50 and $100 bills.
I used to do this many times in Thailand and never had any problem, so I honestly didn't think twice about it here.
I'm sharing this simply so other people don't make the same mistake I did. Don't assume a locked locker means your cash is safe.