Former Thai model arrested for scamming victims out of 100 million baht online

Police arrested a former Thai model for creating an online investment scam that stole over 100 million baht from victims.

According to the Bangkok Post, Wetika Jaija was arrested in the San Sai district of Chiang Mai at a residential address. The 30 year old Wetika was charged with obtaining loans amounting to public cheating, entering false computer system data into a computer system and fraud.

Police say she lured victims into investing in a Ponzi scheme and promised them a 100% return on their investments. She allegedly claimed she had won a world-class trading competition and posted photos of luxury cars and a house on her Facebook page.

Initially, her promise was kept as victims received consistent dividends, but then she pulled out and disappeared. More than 100 people transferred money to Wetika but realised something was amiss as she took down her social media accounts and halted the payouts.

Wetika denied all charges but police say her recent crime wasn’t her first. She is apparently wanted on 11 arrest warrants in various provinces.

Police warned that people should check to see if businesses offering such investment opportunities are actually licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. They also warned to be cautious of those investments offering unusually high returns.

Meanwhile, another online scam landed the perpetrator in hot water. Police say they arrested a Nigerian man in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, on Wednesday, under suspicion of catfishing and romance scamming several Thai women online, with damages amounting to 300,000 baht.

The catfish, 34 year old Ndubuisi, posed as someone else on Facebook and convinced several Thai women that he was in love with them. He deceived the women into thinking he was in a different country but would soon move to Thailand and marry them so they could start a life together.

The catfish told victims he would send expensive items as engagement gifts. Then, his Thai accomplice would pose as a customs officer and contact the women to say they needed to pay a duty tax fee to receive their gifts. But there were no gifts, no wedding, and no love.

After several women who fell victim to the scam reported their losses to the police, investigating officers gathered evidence that Ndubuisi caused damages of over 300,000 baht and presented it to Samut Prakan Provincial Court, who put out a warrant for his arrest, reports KhaoSod.

The accused fled to Pattaya but police tracked him down and arrested him at a rented property under suspicion of four charges: 1) defrauding people by pretending to be someone else, 2) inputting false information into a computer system, 3) being part of a criminal gang and 4) money laundering.