Nonthaburi police chief warns of identity fraud loan scam

Police Chief Jaturon Anurakbandit reported a case against a scammer who used his name and rank to deceive a woman into transferring money, threatening her with a lawsuit if she failed to comply. The scammer demanded 50,000 baht from the victim, who had initially sought an online loan.

Police Chief Jaturon of Nonthaburi City Police Station complained after discovering that a scammer had used his name and position to defraud a female victim. The woman, who had applied for an online loan, was threatened by the scammer to transfer 50,000 baht.

The victim, identified as 40 year old Ladda, explained that she had been urgently searching for a loan online due to financial difficulties. She came across a loan offer and followed the fraudster’s instructions. However, the promised funds never appeared in her account. When she contacted the company again, she was informed that she had provided the wrong account details and needed to transfer 25,000 baht to correct the situation.

“The company threatened to sue for 9 million baht if I didn’t transfer the money but I didn’t have that amount.”

The company then sent her a fake police complaint, which frightened her into believing she would face a massive lawsuit.

Ladda discussed the situation with her family, who advised her to stay calm and investigate further. She contacted the Provincial Complaint Centre and the Cyber Police, who confirmed it was a scam.

The scammer had used Police Chief Jaturon’s real name and rank but incorrectly cited his position. He was not a specialist investigator at the Phetchabun Police Station but the police chief of Nonthaburi City Police Station. Ladda managed to avoid falling for the scam by verifying the details and not transferring any money.

The victim sent Jaturon a picture of the fake complaint, which listed him as an investigator at the Phetchabun Police Station, a position he does not hold. The victim had sought an online loan but never received the funds, leading to the scammer’s threats.

Scam warning

Police Chief Jaturon warned against seeking loans from unverified sources, highlighting the dangers of falling into such traps. He emphasised the importance of verifying any official documents received to ensure they are genuine.

“If anyone receives documents like these, they should verify with the source to ensure the person named actually exists.”

Jaturon confirmed that he has filed a complaint against the scammer and intends to pursue the case to the fullest extent.

Initial investigations by the Nonthaburi City Police revealed that the documents sent by the scammer were fake. The signatures on the fake complaint did not match Jaturon’s actual signature.

Authorities are working to identify and apprehend the individual responsible for sending the fraudulent documents to bring them to justice, reported KhaoSod.