Lands scam: Woman shocked by 6 million baht ‘official’ con job

A woman was left in shock after losing over 6 million baht to a scam involving people impersonating officials from the Department of Lands. Despite her initial scepticism, the fraudsters managed to deceive her into installing a fake application, leading to the theft.

Police recently apprehended 25 year old Waranuch under a warrant issued by the Pathum Thani Provincial Court on August 15. She faces charges of fraud, impersonation, and computer-related offences. The arrest is part of a larger investigation led by Police Lieutenant General Thiti Saengsawang and other senior officers.

While working at a clinic, the victim received a call from someone claiming to be an official from the Department of Lands. They informed her about a tax refund and convinced her to add their Line account for further communication.

The LINE account appeared official, showing the department’s logo and a message from an online registration officer. The fraudsters then instructed her to download and install a fake Department of Lands application on her phone.

Throughout the call, the scammers kept her engaged, ensuring she did not hang up or exit the application. Eventually, she became suspicious and decided to stop the transaction.

However, upon checking her bank account later, she discovered that 6,300,000 baht (US$186,700) had been transferred to another account. She immediately contacted her bank to freeze the recipient’s account and reported the incident to the police.

The suspect, Waranuch, denied all charges, claiming she was unaware of the fraudulent activities. She stated that in 2023, a friend had persuaded her to open three bank accounts, promising a payment of 500 baht (US$15) per account.

The friend explained that the accounts were for investment purposes and assured her of future returns. Waranuch mentioned that she had been arrested twice before for similar offences and was recently released in late September.

Pol. Col. Theeradej issued a warning to the public, urging them not to fall for such scams. He emphasised that the Department of Lands does not contact individuals via phone or LINE for tax-related matters, reported KhaoSod.

He highlighted five common tactics used by fraudsters impersonating the Department of Lands: sending fake official letters demanding tax payments through LINE and Facebook, creating counterfeit Department websites, making fraudulent calls about land tax collection or surveying, and tricking people into adding their LINE account to steal personal information.