Cyber Police dismantle Phitsanulok fake officer scam costing victim 90,000 baht

The Cyber Police recently busted an online fraud ring for impersonating police officers from Phitsanulok and scamming nearly 90,000 baht from a victim by claiming their bank account was involved in a money laundering case. The arrest of 27 year old Worapong was made today, following an investigation by high-ranking officers from the Special Investigation Division.

The scam began with fraudsters contacting the victim, pretending to be staff from a well-known bank, informing them of an overdue credit card payment of 57,777 baht in Phitsanulok. When the victim denied owning the card, the criminals suggested that someone might have used their identity to open the account and advised them to file a report at the local police station.

As the victim was unable to do so, the fraudsters recommended filing an online report. They added the victim on Line, a popular messaging app, impersonating police officers to further their scheme.

The criminals, masquerading as police personnel, then instructed the victim to enable their camera for facial scanning to verify their identity. They provided falsified evidence via Line, stating the victim was indeed linked to money laundering activities.

The con artists claimed that the victim’s bank account and assets would be seized unless they transferred money to prove their innocence. Trusting their ploy, the victim transferred 48,391.65 baht in the first transaction and 37,000 baht in the second, totalling 85,391.65 baht.

After the money was sent, all communication was cut off, the Line account was blocked, and the victim could no longer contact the fraudsters. Realising they had been duped, the victim filed a complaint with the authorities.

The police charged the perpetrators with collaboration in defrauding the public by impersonating others and introducing false or altered data into the computer system, which could potentially cause harm to others. The accused was handed over to the investigating officers for further legal proceedings.

This incident serves as a crucial reminder of the increasing sophistication of online fraud schemes and the importance of vigilance when dealing with unsolicited communication, especially those claiming to be from authoritative sources requesting personal information or financial transactions reported KhaoSod.