Thailand's cyber police recently arrested a 55-year-old man suspected of involvement in a telephone scam targeting the 19-year-old daughter of the deputy leader of the Democrat Party, with the amount involved reaching 650,000 Thai Baht. The mastermind behind the case was revealed to be a Chinese intermediary, attracting widespread attention.
According to "Thaiger", the suspect was arrested under a warrant issued by the local court for impersonating others and manipulating computer systems with false information.
The victim revealed that the incident began with a call from someone claiming to be a police officer, questioning whether she had opened an account at Krung Thai Bank related to criminal activities. After her denial, the caller suggested verifying her identity through the "Department of Special Investigation" (DSI) LINE account.
Through this account, the victim was asked to provide a photo of her ID card and bank account information. The scammer, under the guise of "proving innocence," induced her to make an initial transfer of 56,000 Thai Baht. Subsequently, the scammer gained further trust through a video call dressed in a police uniform, prompting her to make two additional transfers of 100,000 Thai Baht each.
After three transfers, the scammer threatened her family's reputation, demanding she raise more funds. Under pressure, the victim borrowed 393,000 Thai Baht from her grandmother, bringing the total amount scammed to 650,000 Thai Baht. Eventually, sensing something was amiss, she decided to contact the police.
According to police investigations, the suspect confessed to being employed by a Chinese intermediary to assist in opening bank accounts for fraud purposes. He revealed that to complete the facial recognition process for account opening, he had illegally crossed the border near Aranyaprathet into Cambodia. The suspect has now been handed over to the relevant departments, and the case is still under further investigation.
This case not only reveals the complexity of transnational scam networks but also highlights new criminal methods of impersonating authoritative figures to gain trust. Thai police urge the public to remain vigilant and not to trust unfamiliar calls and unverified official identities.
