China: Unsuspecting woman mistakes 1.5 million baht luxury phone for cheap handset

A woman stumbled upon a luxury phone in Jiangsu province, China, initially assuming it to be a cheap handset for the elderly due to its simplistic design. However, the mobile phone belonged to a businessman and was a luxurious Rolls-Royce of the mobile industry, valued at over 300,000 yuan (1.5 million baht).

According to CTWANT, the woman picked up the mobile phone without realizing its true value. A man surnamed Wang contacted the police to report his lost phone, worth more than 300,000 yuan, containing important business records.

CCTV footage revealed a woman had retrieved Wang’s phone. The police tracked her down, and she willingly returned the device, admitting its plain features led her to believe it was an inexpensive mobile phone for senior citizens, around 100 yuan.

In reality, Wang, the phone’s owner, is a businessman. The missing handset was a limited edition VERTU, a high-end mobile brand with a price tag exceeding 300,000 yuan, reported Sanook.

Launched in 1998, VERTU handsets are meticulously crafted by skilled artisans. Every detail of these phones reflects ultimate luxury and sophistication, suitable for a billionaire’s lifestyle.

In related news, in Pattaya, a 23 year old Russian tourist reported being mugged and assaulted by two Thai men. The victim was making her way back to her condominium after a late-night visit to a convenience store when she was brutally attacked, with her phone stolen in the process. Read more about this story HERE.

In other news, a grade 12 student from a school in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province committed suicide after being scammed by a group who persuaded her to buy an iPhone. The student took her own life in her bedroom on October 15.

Police guessed that she was under extreme stress after falling prey to a fraud gang that enticed her to buy an iPhone on a high-value instalment plan of 18,500 baht. Read more about this story HERE.

If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.