Cyber police arrest scammer who defrauded politician’s daughter of 650,000 baht

Cyber police apprehended a key player in a call centre scam that deceived the daughter of a Democrat Party deputy leader out of over 650,000 baht by impersonating officials from the Department of Special Investigation.

Police from Technology Crime Suppression Division 5 reported the arrest of 55 year old Suthep near a house in Wang Sala, Tha Muang district, Kanchanaburi. Suthep was detained under a warrant issued by the Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Court, dated October 30, on charges of defrauding the public by impersonating another person and introducing false information into a computer system.

The arrest follows a complaint by 19 year old Paphavee Detdecho, the daughter of Chaichana Detdecho, a deputy leader of the Democrat Party. Paphavee had been targeted by a call centre scam that tricked her into transferring a considerable amount of money. The victim reported receiving a call from an individual claiming to be a police officer from Sai Mai Police Station, identifying himself as Adisak.

The scammer inquired whether Paphavee had opened a Krung Thai Bank account linked to a suspect the police had apprehended. After she denied any involvement, the scammer suggested she verify her innocence by contacting a LINE account named Department of Special Investigation.

Through this account, they requested her ID card photo and information about her bank account. To prove her innocence, she was persuaded to cooperate by transferring an initial sum of 56,000 baht (US$1,600), said Paphavee.

“They continued the deception through a video call, during which the scammer wore a police uniform, further convincing her to transfer 100,000 baht (US$2,865) twice.”

Scammer arrest

The scam artists did not stop at that. After extracting three payments, they instructed Paphavee to return to her home province to gather more funds, threatening that failure to comply would result in her father and relatives being disgraced and the video call images being used for blackmail.

Consequently, Paphavee travelled to Nakhon Si Thammarat to obtain money from her grandmother, transferring an additional 393,000 baht (US$11,255), making the total loss 650,000 baht (US$18,625). Suspecting foul play, she eventually realised she had been deceived and filed a complaint with the Nakhon Si Thammarat City Police.

In the police investigation, Suthep confessed to being hired by a Chinese broker to open bank accounts. He admitted to crossing into Cambodia by natural routes in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province, to complete the face-scanning process necessary for these fraudulent accounts, reported KhaoSod.

The police have now transferred Suthep to the Nakhon Si Thammarat City Police for further legal proceedings.