Love con: Thai woman nabbed for 1.7 million baht romance scam

Thai authorities have successfully apprehended a 24 year old woman in connection with a sophisticated romance scam operation that swindled a victim out of 1.7 million baht under the guise of a lucrative investment in London gold shares.

The arrest of the woman identified only as Saovaluck, which took place yesterday in front of a convenience store in Samrong Klang sub-district, Phra Pradaeng District, Samut Prakan province, was the culmination of an investigation sparked by a public complaint and led by high-ranking police officials.

The cybercrime unit, under the command of Police Lieutenant General Thiti Sangsawang and Police Major General Teeradej Thamsudhee, along with operational teams, executed the warrant issued by the Nonthaburi Provincial Court on March 27, for charges of “jointly committing fraud by impersonation and consenting to the use of one’s bank account, electronic card, or electronic money account for fraudulent purposes.”

Saovaluck, a former online gambling website employee, played a crucial role in a scheme that operates through creating fake Facebook profiles of attractive, successful businessmen purportedly based in Phuket. Over about a month of correspondence, the victim fell in love and was convinced to invest in what was promised to be a highly profitable venture, offering a 10% daily return on investment in London gold stocks. Trusting the con artist, the victim transferred money in three separate transactions, ultimately losing over 1.7 million baht.

Upon receiving the funds, the suspect quickly transferred the money to other accounts, a tactic known as a mule account, commonly used by fraudsters to receive and then quickly disperse illicit funds to avoid detection. This operation is characteristic of the romance scam, a form of deception where the victim is emotionally manipulated into trusting the scammer and then lured into financial investments.

Upon interrogation, Saovaluck confessed that in 2022, she had worked for an online gambling website in a neighbouring country. In 2023, she opened a bank account for a friend to use for receiving money from the gambling website, for which she was compensated 1,000 baht. Following her arrest, she was handed over to the investigative officers at Bang Kruai Police Station for legal proceedings and further action related to the case.