Policewoman refuses to return Thai man’s cash after bank mishap

A Thai man reached out to a news agency after he mistakenly transferred money to the bank account of a policewoman in the Isaan province of Surin. The officer in question refused to return it despite a three-year attempt to retrieve it.

The 30 year old victim, Warut, appeared on a news programme on Channel 7 to seek justice. Warut explained that he intended to transfer money to another one of his accounts but entered one digit of the bank account number incorrectly. As a result, the money was transferred to a woman’s account on April 26, 2021.

In an effort to retrieve his money, Warut reported the matter to the police but they refused his complaint, suggesting he discuss the issue with the bank. The bank asked him to wait 15 days while they attempted to contact the woman but later informed Warut that they were unable to reach her.

Warut decided to search for the woman’s name on social media and found her Facebook account. She was a police officer in Surin province. Warut sent her messages but she did not respond, despite being active on social media every day.

Two years later, the policewoman finally contacted him, claiming that she had not responded earlier because her account had been hacked. She promised to check her statement and return the money. The policewoman even asked him to transfer 500 baht as a processing fee.

The officer admitted to spending all of Warut’s money, claiming she would borrow funds to repay him. She only transferred 500 baht to Warut and then disappeared. Warut attempted to contact her via her supervisor but to no avail.

The media brought the case to the well-known Thai lawyer, Ronnarong Kaewphet, who revealed that the policewoman’s actions constituted embezzlement. This charge carries a penalty of up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 60,000 baht, or both.

Ronnarong urged Warut to take legal action against the policewoman within three months before the case expires. The lawyer also called on her supervisor to consider removing her from her position, noting that as a police officer, she should be well aware of the law but continued to violate it.