Lottery Plus battles 1,700 fake pages and scams

Noted public figure Panthawat Nakvisut, also known as Not Lottery Plus, filed a complaint with the police against fraudulent pages and gambling websites. Joined by Apaporn Hai, Mont Sit Khamsoi, and their legal team, they presented evidence at the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB).

The complaint follows the discovery of scammers using photographs of their presenters to fraudulently sell mystery boxes and underground lottery tickets.

Panthawat revealed that over 1,700 fake pages and 4,500 fake profiles have been detected on social media. These profiles impersonate Panthawat and other presenters, including Apaporn Hai, Mont Sit Khamsoi, Sunaree Ratchasima, and Jenny Ratchanok, using the Lottery Plus logo to deceive the public.

The scammers edit the photographs to advertise on gambling websites and sell mystery boxes, and underground lottery tickets, causing significant financial damage to those who fall for the scams.

Panthawat mentioned that some people have approached him, asking which gambling site he endorses, leading to misunderstandings in the community. He firmly denied any involvement in such activities. Individuals duped by these scams have reported losses ranging from tens of thousands to millions of baht.

Panthawat assured that his company does not deal in mystery boxes and urged the public not to be deceived. Despite reporting over 2,000 mule accounts and numerous fake pages on Facebook, there has been little progress.

Fraudulent websites

To combat the issue, a team of about ten officers was appointed to make decoy purchases from these fraudulent websites and provide the information to the police. However, the scammers have since become aware and stopped cooperating.

He called on Facebook Thailand to investigate and eliminate these fake pages, as they facilitate scammers in deceiving the public. The legitimate way to purchase lottery tickets is through the Nok Plus application or the official Lottery Plus page. Payments should only be made to the account name Lottery Plus Co., Ltd.

Apaporn Hai shared her frustration, revealing that many have sent her images from fake pages, including gambling sites. She noted that even minor changes, like altering the colour of a shirt, are used to deceive people.

Apaporn urged the scammers to use their skills for the country’s benefit or to apply for a job at Lottery Plus to help develop the system. She expressed her anger, stating that if she ever encountered these fraudsters, she would not hesitate to confront them physically and curse them for deceiving the public.

Panthawat’s initial complaint includes charges of public fraud, impersonation, violation of the Computer Crime Act by importing false information and money laundering through gambling operations.