Two Thais arrested for defrauding Bangkok monk of 500,000 baht in online scam

Thai cyber police yesterday apprehended two key members of a fraudulent call centre operation which orchestrated an elaborate financial scam, defrauding a monk out of almost half a million baht.

Named Thitiwatch, aged 38, and 52 year old Ekapetch were arrested in Phaya Thai and Pleonchit districts of Bangkok under arrest warrants 407,408/2023 from Samut Prakan provincial court.

The investigation and consequent arrests were a result of the collaborative efforts of Criminal Suppression Division (CSD) officers led by Major General Worawut Watnakornbancha, and Lieutenant Colonel Natthakorn Pranayanont, who oversaw Taskforce Unit 2 for the operation.

This particular case emerged from a complaint lodged by a monk who fell victim in early 2022 after being duped into transferring 408,723 baht to the call centre staff impersonating an online loan debt collector helping to pay off his mother’s debt.

The victims were tricked into clicking a link sent by the scammers, registering for a loan. After this registration, victims would receive a message saying their application had been approved. However, because they had no prior borrowing history with the company, they would need to bank in a certain amount of money before they could secure the loan.

The monk victim fell for the scam, making 15 transactions totalling 408,723 baht. When he asked for his money to be returned, he was told to deposit more money before the refund could be processed. It was at this point, the monk realised he had been scammed and reported the incident to the police.

The investigation led officers to Thitiwatch and Ekapetch who were found to be working with four others yet to be apprehended. Upon questioning, both denied the allegations. The investigation continues as Thai cyber police search for the remaining suspected fraudsters involved in the operation, reported KhaoSod Online.

In related news, a scammer purchased grocery products using a fake 1,000 baht banknote in northeast Thailand. The scammer hid his identity by wearing a helmet and left without revealing his license plate and direction. For more information, click the LINK to read more.