Chinese woman saved from 8 million baht scam in Thailand

A Chinese woman lured into transferring over 8 million baht to a ruthless call centre scam gang has been found safe in Samut Prakan after weeks of torment.

The 42 year old Chinese woman, Song Xiuhua, was discovered in a Bang Phli district apartment by officers from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), after a frantic search sparked by her family’s desperate plea for help.

Her mother, Li Jianshe, received chilling messages from scammers, claiming her daughter was being held in Thailand and demanding a staggering 2.5 million yuan (11.5 million baht) in ransom.

A video showing Song holding her passport and stating, “I am working in Thailand. I am not forced to be videotaped,” only deepened the family’s fear.

The Chinese embassy in Bangkok swiftly alerted the CSD, fearing Song might be in grave danger. Surveillance footage revealed that Song had travelled alone from Germany to Thailand on August 15, immediately taking a taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Song initially appeared suspicious and disoriented when found, claiming she had come to Thailand for a job involving CCTV footage. She insisted she was not kidnapped but seemed unsure when confronted with the scam evidence.

According to Police Colonel Manoon Kaewkam, Song had been tricked into transferring millions after scammers posing as Chinese police accused her of being involved in human trafficking.

They coerced her into coming to Thailand under the false promise of legal help. Once there, the gang controlled her movements and forced her to record videos for ransom demands.

The Chinese woman moved between accommodations eight times, fearing the gang’s threats. Fortunately, her mother had not transferred any ransom money before Thai police intervened, reported Bangkok Post.

In related news, police arrested a Thai woman after she stole cash and valuables worth about 200,000 baht from her boyfriend in July and fled arrest to work as a call centre scammer in a neighbouring country.