Thai woman loses 1.7 million baht in scam, says police only help celebrities
A Thai woman in the eastern province of Rayong accused police officers of working only for famous people after she lost 1.7 million baht to a scammer after officers ignored her case.
The 50 year old victim, Kanlayaphat, filed a complaint with Huay Pong Police Station after money was withdrawn from her bank account four times by a scammer posing as an official from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA).
The incident occurred in April last year but police have not provided her with any updates on the case until now. She revealed that the local police and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) have been shifting responsibility to each other over the past 11 months. Frustrated, she decided to bring her story to the media.
Kanlayaphat explained that she received a message from the PEA at 12.29am on April 27 last year, stating that she had failed to pay electricity bills for two months. She contacted the PEA to confirm that she had already paid both bills.
The official then sent her a URL and encouraged her to upload proof of her payment for verification. She followed the instructions and later received a phone call from the supposed PEA official.
The official assured her that she had no outstanding bills and had, in fact, overpaid. He then asked her to perform a face scan so he could process a refund.
Kanlayaphat initially refused, fearing it was a scam, but the scammer, disguised as an official, managed to convince her. Shortly afterwards, money was withdrawn from her account in the amounts of 279,097 baht, 799,148 baht, 630,516 baht, and 91,000 baht.
The total loss exceeded 1.7 million baht. This was her life savings, which she had intended to use to support herself in retirement.
Kanlayaphat stated that officers at Huay Pong Police Station asked her to wait for an update.
They claimed to have transferred the case to the CCIB both via an online system and by post. However, when she contacted CCIB officers, they told her they had not received any documents.
Kanlayaphat also questioned the security measures of the bank. She had trusted the bank to safeguard her money and expected them to take better care of her funds.
Although she has lost hope of recovering her money, she still hopes the police will be able to arrest the scammer. Kanyaphat added that she was not an important or famous person, and that’s why her case has been delayed.
Officers from Huay Pong Police Station and the CCIB have yet to state the matter.
In the draft of a new act to prevent and suppress technology-related crimes, mobile phone service providers and banks are expected to be held responsible for losses incurred by scam victims. However, this new law is still under discussion and consideration by the Cabinet and relevant departments.
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