Chiang Mai Univeristy students scammed of millions in single day
Scammers used forged university documents and fake signatures to deceive
Ten students at Chiang Mai University experienced scams in a single day, resulting in losses amounting to several million baht. This has led the university and local police to issue a warning about the scams.
The scams intensified during a long holiday from May 31 to June 2, according to Police Colonel Manatchai Inthean, superintendent of Bhubing Rajanives Police Station. In one incident, a male student was tricked into transferring over 2 million baht in four transactions. The scammers used forged documents, such as fake letters with university letterheads and a counterfeit signature of the university’s rector, to deceive the student and his family. They maintained constant contact through video calls over two days to manipulate the victim’s actions.
The student’s mother later revealed that the family transferred money in four instalments, ranging between 400,000 and 600,000 baht, some of which was borrowed, before losing all contact with the scammers.
In another case, a female student was instructed to wear headphones and carry a knife while pushing a cart to the police station. She sat in front of the duty officer, who noticed something amiss, de-escalated the situation, and confiscated the knife.
Police explained that these scams rely on psychological pressure and manipulation through threats and scripted instructions. Many victims, while academically competent, lack life experience, making them vulnerable.
Among the 10 students, five fell victim to direct call centre operations. Other methods involved impersonating government officials, coercion during video calls with threats or blackmail, and fraudulent scholarship offers. Common scams also include fake part-time job offers or online purchases that never materialised.
Police have frozen related bank accounts and are tracking financial transactions. While some funds have been recovered, many cases remain unresolved. In the 2-million-baht case, the student’s family identified a bank account and phone number but reported no progress, as the account holder was waiting for a police summons, reported Bangkok Post.
Chiang Mai University is collaborating with local police to provide information and support during student orientation and other activities. There is no indication of a major data breach, and these scams appear to be isolated incidents.
Students and their families are urged to remain vigilant as call centre scams persist. Addressing this issue requires cooperation across sectors and a national effort involving telecom providers, banks, Internet services, and relevant agencies to implement stronger and clearer measures.
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