Fortunes turned sour: Deceived victims seek Channel 3’s aid after losing 600,000 baht to trusted fortune teller

Victims in the Bueang Karn province of Isaan have come forward seeking assistance from Channel 3 after being swindled out of nearly 600,000 baht by a fortune teller they had respected.

The first victim, A, revealed to Channel 3 that she encountered the fortune teller, Lookkaew, in 2021, after hearing from friends and neighbours about Lookkaew’s highly accurate fortune readings. Lookkaew claimed to be a medium for the child ghost known as Kumarn Thong in Thai and used the spirit’s abilities to provide precise fortunes to each person.

Intrigued, A decided to give Lookkaew a chance and was astounded by the accuracy of the fortune reading she received. Lookkaew suggested that A change her name for a better life, and to A’s surprise, positive changes indeed occurred after following this advice. A also started having vivid dreams involving the child ghost, further strengthening her belief in Lookkaew’s powers.

Trusting in Lookkaew’s abilities, A agreed to lend her 80,000 baht, believing it would bring her merit and good luck. Lookkaew promised to repay the loan with a monthly interest rate of 3%, but much to A’s dismay, she never received any repayment.

The second victim, B, shared her story with the media. She explained that she fell victim to Lookkaew’s scheme due to the fortune teller’s seemingly flawless predictions.

Lookkaew enticed B to purchase a Buddha statue worth 130,000 baht and even borrowed an additional 75,000 baht from her. However, B never received the promised statue or her money back.

Furthermore, Lookkaew convinced B to transfer money ranging from 500 to 1,000 baht, claiming that B’s future financial security was in jeopardy as predicted by her fortune. Falling for this trick, B lost 24,000 baht.

B added that she held Lookkaew in high regard, treating her like a family member and even inviting her to the wedding ceremony.

The third victim, known as C, reported that Lookkaew borrowed 30,000 baht from her for her son’s wedding and an additional 140,000 baht for the purchase of a second-hand car.

Lookkaew also manipulated C into buying a Buddha statue valued at 200,000 baht. Unfortunately, C received only 40,000 baht in return.

C explained that she did not wish for the return of the 200,000 baht because she had received the statue and promptly donated it to a temple. Lookkaew had claimed that the statue’s hair was made of gold, but C had not verified the truth of this statement.

Lookkaew’s ex-husband, Wit, gave an interview with Channel 3 regarding his former spouse. He stated that Lookkaew travelled to various locations to provide fortune-telling services and did not deceive anyone. Wit himself only learned about the numerous victims through the news.

As of now, Lookkaew has not yet provided her side of the story to the media. However, the victims shared an update that Lookkaew asked them to wait for the money, as she plans to sell her plots of land, potentially amounting to over 18 million baht.

The report did not disclose whether the victims have filed a complaint against Lookkaew or not.