Family fraud: Thai woman’s stolen identity crisis sparks media plea

A Thai woman is seeking help from the media after a distant relative impersonated her and committed multiple crimes under her name for more than three years.

The victim appealed to Channel 7 to shed light on her story with the public to clarify that she has never engaged in any illegal activities. She aims to clarify that it was her relative who acted in her name. Shockingly, the said relative went as far as complaining about her, falsely accusing her of identity theft.

The victim became aware of the identity theft in 2021 when she found her name on an arrest warrant issued by Mueang Suphan Buri Police Station in the central province of Suphan Buri. She was confused because she worked and lived in Bangkok.

The victim reached out to the police to inquire about the arrest warrant and was shocked to learn that the scammer had accused her of hacking into her Facebook account and stealing her identity to perpetrate deceitful acts.

Utilising the victim’s name and surname, the scammer attempted to carry out fraudulent activities. However, the victim successfully demonstrated her ownership of the identity to the police.

Subsequently, she took matters into her own hands and contacted the scammer via phone, issuing a stern warning against further acts of identity theft.

Perpetual scammer

In 2022, the same scammer committed crimes again under the victim’s name, prompting the victim to confront her at Mueang Suphan Buri Police Station. During the meeting, she learned that the scammer was a distant relative whom she had never met before.

The victim made the woman promise and sign a legal document stating that she would cease stealing her identity for any further crimes.

The victim said her name was used to borrow informal debt, apply for a job, swindle others, etc. So, she decided to change her name and surname last year.

Unfortunately, the victim’s new identity was once again stolen by the same scammer, who once again filed a report with the police accusing the victim of identity theft.

The victim stated that this situation has been ongoing for more than three years, and she has been gathering evidence to prosecute the scammer.

She also questioned why officers at Mueang Suphan Buri Police Station allowed the identity thief to file a report against her.

Channel 7 reached out to the scammer for clarification on the case. She vehemently denied any involvement in identity theft, maintaining that it was her own identity that had been stolen, along with the victim’s.

However, the police had not yet taken steps to investigate the matter further.