Thai woman arrested over online job scam in Pattani
A 22 year old Thai woman was arrested in Pattani province for her involvement in an online job scam yesterday, January 24. She claimed she was forced to open bank accounts by a Chinese criminal gang and detained in a casino.
Police Major General Witthaya Sribunsroek, acting provincial police chief, ordered Police Colonel Phongpanot Chuakaew and Police Captain Kiattisak Boonthong to apprehend Maythika Noisuwan at the parking lot in front of Pattani Railway Station. The arrest was made under a warrant issued by the Chiang Mai Provincial Court on August 6 last year, charging her with collaborating in defrauding the public and committing fraud by entering false information into a computer system.
The perpetrators of the scam had recruited individuals for online jobs such as liking and promoting products, offering a commission of 10 baht per like. They also hired people to click on stock trading website links, requiring an upfront security deposit to receive payment. Once victims transferred money, all communication was cut off. Many victims, some losing up to 60,000 baht, reported the case to police across various regions, resulting in arrest warrants for the suspects.
Police discovered that Maythika had fled to Pattani. During interrogation, she confessed that after losing her job, she applied for an online currency exchange position. However, she was deceived into opening multiple bank accounts and was taken to a casino in Poipet, Cambodia. There, she was forced to scan her face through a banking app to facilitate money transfers under the coercion of a Chinese financier, reported KhaoSod.
The suspect claimed to have suffered physical harm for non-compliance. After escaping back to Thailand, Maythika’s bank accounts were used in fraudulent activities, leading to her arrest and transfer to Chang Phueak Police Station for legal proceedings.
In related news, the Department of Employment (DoE) has advised those seeking overseas employment to verify agencies with the DoE to prevent falling prey to illegal operators.
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