Nakhon Ratchasima man loses over 600k baht in romance scam

A middle-aged man from Nakhon Ratchasima lost over 600,000 baht in a romance scam.

The victim, nicknamed Up, shared his story through an online news platform, intending to alert the public about a gang of scammers who used personal relationships as bait to extort money. Up explained that in July last year, a woman contacted him via Facebook, and they soon arranged to meet. She drove to Nakhon Ratchasima, and after a brief conversation, they went to a resort where they engaged in sexual relations.

Later that evening, around 7pm, a woman claiming to be the girl’s mother called Up, saying her daughter was under 17 years old and was taken to the hospital. The supposed mother demanded 50,000 baht to settle the matter, threatening legal action since the girl’s father was a high-ranking police officer. Fearing repercussions, Up transferred the money. Over time, he discovered the woman was actually 29 to 30 years old.

The woman’s alleged mother later contacted Up again, claiming she had a 5-rai plot of land in Pak Thong Chai district and offered to return the money if Up helped invest in it. In early June this year, Up was asked to pay 16,000 baht for a land survey and another 80,000 baht for building a fence. The demands continued, with claims that an additional 300,000 baht was needed because the land’s aunt, supposedly a police officer, refused to sign the transfer papers.

Up began to grow suspicious after being asked for another 250,000 baht. He had already pawned his car, refinanced it, and used personal savings, transferring a total of 342,200 baht. When the scammers asked for an additional 25,000 baht, Up investigated the land ownership at the local land office, only to find no record of any transactions. Realising he had been scammed, Up reported the matter to the police.

Police investigation

The police investigation revealed that the woman involved had a history of fraud dating back to 2016. Despite efforts to capture her, she remained at large.

Recently, Up confronted the scammer, who admitted to the fraud and agreed to repay 300,000 baht. So far, 50,000 baht has been returned, with the rest to be paid by the end of the year. Up is also pursuing additional charges for money taken last year.

Up warns the public about sophisticated scam operations, urging people to verify identities and not trust easily. He emphasised the importance of checking identification and being cautious of offers that seem too good to be true, as scammers prey on greed to steal money, reported KhaoSod.