Police arrest scammer for selling fake tours from Thailand to Japan

Police yesterday arrested a woman in Bangkok who made over 1 million baht by selling fake tours from Thailand to Japan in 2014.

Thailand’s Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for 49 year old Chanphen eight years ago in October 2014 for “running a tourism business without seeking permission, false advertising, and fraud.”

In January 2014, Chanphen defrauded 27 victims who forked out cash for a “tour” to Japan. The tour included plane tickets from Thailand, accommodation, a visit to Mount Fuji in Hakone National Park, and other tourist destinations. The five-day and four-night “tour” was set to take place between May 1 – 5, 2014.

Chanphen sold tickets for an all-in price of 40,900 baht per person – considerably cheap considering it covered flights, accommodation, and guided tours. Some 27 people bought tickets and prepared for their trip from Bangkok to Japan.

However, as the departure date was approaching, Chanphen sent out a message to say there was a “problem” on the Japanese side with the accommodation and the tour had to be cancelled. Chanphen told the disappointed tourists not to worry, she would refund them for their tickets.

When the victims tried to contact her to get a refund, Chanphen suddenly become uncontactable and no one heard from her again. The 27 victims came together to file a case against her with the Consumer Protection Police Division in Bangkok.

Police found that Chanphen’s “tour company” was not registered and she had not sought a license from the tourism business registration office.

Police ran a background check and found that Hua Mak Police Station had previously issued five warrants for Chanphen’s arrest for fraud, but all of them expired before police located her whereabouts.

So, the case was elevated to the Criminal Court who issued an arrest warrant in October 2014 with a longer expiry date. Yesterday, police arrested Chanphen at a hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 59 in Bangkok for the crimes she committed eight years ago. Police didn’t say why it took eight years to catch the scammer.

SOURCE: Daily News