Phatthalung villagers scammed out of 5 million baht by neighbour

Nearly 30 villagers in Phatthalung province filed police reports after being scammed out of 5 million baht by a neighbour they had trusted. The incident involved daily savings schemes, gold savings plans, and land brokerage deals.

The chief of Khao Krasai subdistrict in Pa Bon district, Komjak Saengsio, led the villagers in reporting the case. The accused, Sattaya Boonladee, a resident of Khuan Lang subdistrict in Hat Yai, Songkhla, had gained the trust of the villagers through his friendly demeanour and convincing promises.

Residents revealed that Sattaya ingratiated himself with the community, promoting various financial schemes. Initially, he set up daily savings groups and gold investment plans and acted as a land mortgage broker. Due to his seemingly trustworthy nature, many villagers were convinced to invest substantial amounts of money.

“At first, we thought only a couple of people were affected but upon further investigation, we found nearly 50 victims in the sub-district.”

The scale of the fraud became apparent when more villagers came forward to report their losses.

Sattaya’s schemes included creating fictitious members in savings groups. For instance, in a group of 20 people, 10 were real investors while the rest were names he fabricated. By manipulating the interest rates and returns, he made the schemes appear lucrative, convincing more people to join.

The gold savings plan involved raising funds for gold purchases. Initially, Sattaya made regular payments, earning trust. As the scheme grew, he introduced larger investments, such as 2-baht gold bars, requiring an upfront payment of 7,000 baht. When it was his turn to receive gold, he collected the gold from a partnered shop and then disappeared.

Additionally, Sattaya borrowed money under false pretences, claiming his bank account was temporarily unusable and asking villagers to transfer funds on his behalf. Due to his perceived affluence and reliability, many complied, only to find their money never returned. He even managed to mortgage a plot of land belonging to one of the villagers before vanishing.

Phatthalung Provincial Police Station Chief, Natphon, confirmed that the investigative team has begun collecting evidence and taking statements from all victims. The investigation has been expedited to prevent Sattaya from committing further fraud elsewhere.

“We will issue a summons once the investigation is complete. If the suspect does not respond, an arrest warrant will be issued immediately. Should we find evidence of forgery or other criminal activities, additional charges will be filed.”

Villagers have been urged to remain cautious of individuals who appear overly friendly and trustworthy to avoid falling victim to similar scams in the future. The ongoing investigation aims to bring Sattaya to justice and recover the lost funds for the victims, reported KhaoSod.