Buriram businesswoman scammed 700,000 baht in call centre fraud
A businesswoman in Buriram’s Prakhon Chai district fell victim to a call centre scam, losing over 700,000 baht. The scam, which involved impersonation of electricity officials, highlights the need for vigilance despite previous caution. The family hopes this case serves as a warning to others.
Reporters investigated the incident by visiting Chamras, a 54 year old resident of Prakhon Chai district, Buriram province, who is the brother of 42 year old Pornpimon, the victim. As Pornpimon was not home, she recounted the incident over the phone.
On April 3, a person claiming to be from the Prakhon Chai Provincial Electricity Authority delivered a letter to her home, stating a planned power outage for high-voltage maintenance in her area. The letter was taken seriously but kept for reference.
On April 4, Pornpimon received a call claiming to be from the provincial electricity authority, stating that the power outage was scheduled for that day. The caller mentioned a meter replacement and a refund of 5,000 baht (US$145) for the metre.
Initially, she was sceptical and considered contacting the electricity office directly. However, the caller continued to engage her, mentioning an unusually high electricity bill, 4,000 baht (US$115) compared to the usual 2,000 baht (US$60). This piqued her interest, thinking it might lead to energy-saving advice.
The conversation then shifted to a video call, where she was asked to scan a QR code to receive the refund. Within seconds of scanning, she received a notification that 700,001 baht (US$20,270) had been withdrawn from her account.
When questioned, the caller claimed it was a mistake and promised a refund. Alarmed, Pornpimon drove to Kasikorn Bank, just 2 kilometres away, taking about 20 minutes due to red lights.
Upon arriving at the bank, she requested her account be frozen. However, the bank needed to investigate further to confirm the scam.
After about 10 minutes, the bank began its checks but could not freeze the account as the funds had already been transferred to a Government Savings Bank account. By 6pm, with no update from any bank, the local police station intervened, discovering the money had already been transferred.
Pornpimon expressed her frustration, noting her previous awareness of call centre scams. She was surprised by the scam’s accuracy in knowing her electricity usage and schedule, reported KhaoSod.
She now feels hesitant to trust banks, urging them to take responsibility for the loss, emphasising that the system’s failure allowed a significant amount of money to be transferred without facial recognition verification.
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