Thai student’s tragic death after falling victim to iPhone online scam

A tragic incident unfolded in Nakhon Si Thammarat when a 19 year old student was found hanged in her home after falling victim to an online scam. The fraudsters duped the victim, Atiya, into paying 20,000 baht for an iPhone 13 that never existed.

The police launched an investigation yesterday to capture the culprits, including a woman who held an account used by the scammers to receive payments.

Atiya, a Grade 12 student, was discovered in her bedroom in a house in Tambon Koh Thuad of Pak Phanang district on Sunday evening. The police subsequently questioned three of her friends and her aunt who resided in the same house.

According to witness statements, Atiya had interacted with a supposed mobile phone shop called Hannah via Facebook. The shop, later confirmed as non-existent by the police, provided a counterfeit address in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai.

The fraudsters tricked Atiya into making an initial payment and subsequent payments, resulting in four transactions amounting to 18,500 baht transferred to a bank account under the name Dokkaew Kaewjerm.

Despite making the payments, the student never received the iPhone. She reached out to the shop multiple times, requesting a refund. However, the fraudsters responded by asking for an additional 2,000 baht as a guarantee for the phone, which she transferred.

Online scam

Upon receiving no response after the final transfer, Atiya discovered she had been conned. This online scam revelation caused her significant distress as she had borrowed part of the money from her friends, reported Bangkok Post.

Her final message was sent to one of her friends at approximately 3.15pm on Sunday, expressing her fear about her mother’s possible reprimand due to the online scam. Worried, the friend contacted Atiya’s family, who were horrified to find her hanged after breaking the lock to her bedroom.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Sawat Niyomdet, the investigation chief at Koh Thuad Police Station, initiated the inquiry and confirmed the phone shop in Mae Sai to be fictitious. The police are currently pursuing all individuals involved, including Dokkaew in this online scam.

If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai) or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress or depression. Seek help.

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