Scammer cons elderly in Udon Thani with free groceries ruse

Residents of a village in Udon Thani were left shaken after a man posing as a district officer tricked elderly locals into scanning their faces in exchange for free eggs, instant noodles, and cooking oil. Believing he was a legitimate official, the villagers complied, only to later suspect he was a fraud.

Yesterday, August 28, villagers from Ban Nong Keb Chi in Udon Thani, led by village headman Kongsak Sombunmee, filed a complaint with the police. They reported that around 50 elderly residents were deceived by a man who claimed to be a district officer. The imposter promised free groceries in exchange for them scanning their faces and providing welfare card information.

The village headman recounted the incident, stating that the previous evening, a well-dressed man in a white sedan arrived in the village. He announced that anyone with a state welfare card could receive free instant noodles, eggs, and cooking oil.

Claiming to be from the Udon Thani District Office, the man said he was there to provide convenience to the villagers. He asked them to share their welfare card PINs and take photos of their cards. He then scanned their faces before handing out groceries—some received six eggs and four packs of noodles, while others received 15 eggs if they opted for eggs only.

Elderly residents, unaware of the scam, did not suspect anything amiss. After scanning their faces, the man asked if anyone had not registered for a state app promising 10,000 baht (US$294) and offered to assist with the registration. He reassured the villagers that there was no need to worry, claiming to be a district officer providing doorstep service.

The village headman later announced that the man was likely a scammer. Realising they had been deceived, the villagers immediately reported the incident to the police and visited Krungthai Bank to request changes to their welfare card PINs.

Grocery scam

The village headman stated that it is a concern that the man is likely a con artist scanning faces and collecting welfare card PINs.

“The end of the month is approaching, and the elderly will use their cards to purchase goods, but we believe this scammer will use the collected data for nefarious purposes. This is why it was crucial to report the incident and warn villagers in Udon Thani to be vigilant.”

Udon Thani District Chief Wimon Surasen issued an urgent notice to all village headmen, warning them of fraudsters impersonating government officials.

These imposters deceive residents by installing a state app, distributing free groceries, and requesting face scans and welfare card PINs. The notice urges the public to stay alert and avoid falling victim to such scams, reported KhaoSod.