Spiritual medium scam: Bangkok’s cybercrime unit arrests mother-daughter duo over 50 million baht fraud
Bangkok’s cybercrime division launched a raid that led to the arrest of a mother and daughter duo accused of conning over 50 million baht from their victims over a spiritual medium scam. The two women set up a sham spiritual medium business, with the older woman and her 40 year old daughter, claiming to channel a deity and foretell the future. Having won the trust of their followers, they then encouraged them to invest in their fraudulent real estate business.
Following a tip-off, law enforcement officials stormed their residence in the province of Nonthaburi, where they were taken into custody. The victims had come together to report the fraud to the police, leading to immediate action from the cybercrime unit. The victims claimed that the duo, alongside the mother’s new husband, had established a ‘Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine’ on Rama II Road. Performing as spiritual mediums, they claimed to predict future events concerning business, work and travel.
This spiritual medium scam led to numerous victims becoming engulfed in their manipulative charm and trustworthiness. Consequently, they conspired to encourage these individuals to invest their money into their fabricated property business.
They promised returns higher than those designated by financial institutions and even claimed connections with significant investors, resulting in most victims transferring money worth over 50 million baht in total. Initial payouts were made before excuses began to surface for the lack of financial liquidity, reported KhaoSod.
The victims soon discovered that the pair had not invested the money into the property business as claimed. This led to a joint plaintiff action which resulted in an arrest warrant being issued. Through persistent tracking, both were apprehended and brought in for interrogation. Both suspects have denied the accusations and were transferred to the investigators of the crime suppression division. The charges registered against them include fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.
The husband, also implicated in the spiritual medium scam, has already surrendered and accepted the charges as prescribed by law.
