Call centre scammer poses as police to defraud Nonthaburi family
A family in Nonthaburi province has fallen victim to a call centre scam, losing over 300,000 baht. On January 10, a 21 year old woman and her parents reported the incident to the police at Mueang Nonthaburi Police Station.
The daughter had been coerced by scammers posing as police and Anti-Money Laundering Organisation (AMLO) officers, who claimed she was involved in a money laundering case in Suphan Buri province. The scammers threatened legal action against the entire family if she did not comply with their demands.
The mother recounted that on January 7, her daughter borrowed her mobile phone, claiming she needed it for work purposes. The phone was linked to an iPad, which the mother used in the meantime.
She noticed bank notifications indicating three transfers of 49,999 baht each. Alarmed, she questioned her daughter, who refused to open her bedroom door. Listening from outside, she overheard her daughter speaking with someone, seemingly following instructions.
Later, the daughter asked her mother to scan her face for mobile access, which raised further suspicion. The daughter assured her that she would explain everything after midnight, once the money was returned.
As midnight approached, the daughter requested to leave the house for an errand but the mother refused due to the late hour. The daughter then locked herself in her room until the next morning, when her parents left for work, leaving her grandmother in charge.
The daughter managed to leave the house and could not be reached. She later contacted her mother, requesting the sale of her grandmother’s gold to transfer the money but the mother refused, insisting her daughter return home. The parents searched for their daughter until yesterday, January 9, when they sought police assistance. They found her at a daily rental room.
The mother revealed that after her daughter ran away, she sent distressing video clips threatening self-harm, demanding another 100,000 baht. However, the mother had no funds left, as her account had been emptied. Despite her daughter’s depressive state, the mother was relieved to find her and reported the scam to the call centre gang. They lost approximately 310,000 baht.
The daughter explained she had received a call from a stern man claiming to be a police officer, investigating assets linked to her name in a money laundering case. The scammer later video-called her, dressed in a police uniform, showing documents with the AMLO emblem. Believing the scammer’s threats, she followed instructions, transferring her funds before being forced to obtain her parents’ phones for further transfers.
The scammer ordered her to leave home and rent a room, warning that her parents’ awareness of the situation would result in their imprisonment. Trusting the scammer, who promised the return of the money, she fled home. She was instructed to create realistic self-harm videos to extort more money from her mother, who refused to comply.
The daughter admitted her mistake, trusting a stranger over her family, causing financial distress. Although her mother has forgiven her, she remains remorseful.
Mueang Nonthaburi Police Station is working with cyber police to pursue the call centre gang, reported KhaoSod.
Latest Thailand News
