Chinese dating scammer arrested for targeting foreign men in Chiang Mai
Police yesterday arrested a Chinese man at Chiang Mai International Airport for operating scams using a dating app to approach foreign men in the province.
Two victims filed complaints with officers at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station on Sunday, March 16 and March 19, stating that a Chinese man they had met on a dating application stole their valuables and belongings upon meeting at hotels.
The first victim, an Irishman named Fullerton Owen James, lost his laptop, 2,000 baht in cash, a credit card, and his house key. Another victim, 49 year old Chinese man Jia Junhuan, lost 29,000 baht in cash, a passport, a credit card, and a mobile phone.
Police investigated the two cases and successfully identified the suspect as 31 year old Zhou Kaiyuan. The suspect had approached each victim via a dating app, encouraged them to meet him at hotels, and seized the opportunity to steal their valuables when the victims went to the bathroom.
Officers tracked down Zhou at Chiang Mai Airport yesterday. He attempted to escape arrest in Bangkok but failed.
The Chinese suspect admitted to his criminal actions, claiming that he usually lived in the border areas of Thailand. He stated that he is gay and specifically targeted victims from the LGBTQIA+ community. Zhou insisted that he only committed the crimes twice in Chiang Mai.
Police did not reveal the legal consequences the Chinese man would face. However, following a similar case, he may face a penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 60,000 baht for violating Section 334 of the Criminal Code, which deals with theft.
In a separate incident, a Thai man in the central province of Nonthaburi recently fell victim to a dating app scam. He lent his motorcycle to a woman he met on the app but she never returned his vehicle. He also noted that the woman appeared different from her profile picture.
Another similar incident was reported in the same province in January when a disabled Thai man lost his motorcycle to a woman he had been dating online. The woman asked to visit him in his room, tricked him into taking a shower, and then disappeared with his motorcycle.
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