Police impersonation fraud: Imposter defrauds relatives, demands 7,000 baht each under false pretences
A 52 year old man yesterday was apprehended by Highway Police for impersonating a deputy warden and conning the relatives of police officers implicated in a case. The suspect involved in the police impersonation fraud had been sought under a Nakhon Pathom Provincial Court warrant dated September 25.
The man, named Kittimatee, was taken into custody in front of a dormitory in the Pa Tan Subdistrict, Mueang District, Lopburi Province.
The fraud stemmed from the case involving Praween Chanklai, also known as Nok, who shot and killed Police Lance Corporal Siwakorn Sai Bua, also known as Sao Wat Bang, during a private party on the night of September 6.
This case led to the arrest of six police officers who allegedly aided Nok. Currently, all six suspects are detained at a special prison in Bangkok.
On September 21, relatives of the six police officers filed complaints through Nakhon Pathom Province and the media. They claimed that someone impersonating a deputy warden from Nakhon Pathom Provincial Prison contacted them, demanding 7,000 baht from each relative, under the pretence of initial prison fees, food, clothing, and personal items within the prison.
The relatives, deceived by the ruse, transferred a total of 42,000 baht before realising they had been duped.
One of the defrauded relatives reported the incident to the inquiry officer at Nakhon Pathom Municipality Police Station to bring the culprit to justice.
“I wasn’t assigned to Nakhon Pathom Provincial Prison at all, and the contact number for the fraudster could not be reached anymore.”
On investigating, it was found that the fraudster claiming to be the deputy warden was Kittimatee.
Police obtained evidence, sought court approval for an arrest warrant, and eventually apprehended the suspect in Lopburi Province. The suspect’s history revealed more than 30 cases of property-related offences, including fraud, impersonation, and theft, primarily in the central region, since 2007.
Following his arrest, Kittimatee was handed over to the inquiry officer at Nakhon Pathom Municipality Police Station for further legal proceedings. The suspect initially confessed to all the charges.
Earlier yesterday, a 51 year old woman named Tassanai, who was wanted under the same Nakhon Pathom Provincial Court warrant, was arrested. Tassanai owned the bank account into which the police officers’ relatives had transferred money, while Kittimatee was the one who called the relatives and tricked them into transferring the money.
The Highway Police and the Provincial Police Region 7 are still expanding the investigation as they believe there may be more people involved in the police impersonation fraud case, reported KhaoSod.
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