Thai couple caught defrauding customers in online durian sale scam

Cyber police in Thailand have arrested a married couple for fraudulently selling durian, a famous fruit in the country, online. The couple, 36 year old Mr. Anon Maneephan and 23 year old Ms. Chiraphat Chaleowai, allegedly advertised durian for sale on social media, which many customers purchased by transferring funds for a deposit. However, they never received the fruits they ordered, and the couple deactivated the Facebook page when attempts were made to reach them. Law enforcement has discovered 10 warrants for the couple’s arrest across the country.

Authorities managed to arrest Anon Maneephan and Chiraphat Chaleowai at their residence in Nong Khae district of the central Saraburi province. It was revealed that the couple posted advertisements for authentic Rayong Monthong Durians on Facebook, priced between 130 to 150 baht (US$4) per kilogram, and accompanied by attractive images of the fruit in various quantities to win buyers’ trust. Once customers had placed orders, the suspects instructed them to transfer money as a deposit for the durians but failed to deliver any of the products.

In an interrogation, Chiraphat confessed that in 2021, she and her husband ran a legitimate online durian-selling business, but at one point, they ran out of stock and continued to accept orders. As customers started to demand refunds or the promised durians, the couple found themselves unable to fulfil the orders and opted to deceive and evade communication with the complainants.

Further investigation revealed that Chiraphat is wanted in nine other cases, while Anon has two warrants for his arrest. Multiple victims have come forth to file police reports, and it is suspected that the couple changed the name of their Facebook account multiple times to continue tricking more unsuspecting victims.

Durians are in season in Thailand right now, and a few durian scams have been reported.

Last week, police arrested a Thai woman following numerous complaints from victims across the country who fell prey to her online durian scams.