Chinese woman arrested in Pattaya for crypto scam
A raid on a luxury villa in Pattaya turned into a stunning double arrest as Thai police captured a Chinese woman accused of masterminding a cryptocurrency investment scam worth over US$18.4 million (around 622 million baht). But the surprises didn’t end there—officers also uncovered her fugitive boyfriend, an international criminal with a chilling past.
The Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) arrested 27 year old Di Wu, a Chinese national, in connection with an online cryptocurrency scam that defrauded victims of US$18.4 million. Among the victims was a Thai teacher who lost her life savings in the operation.
Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphan, Commander of the TCSD, revealed that the arrest took place during a raid at a luxury pool villa in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, where Wu was apprehended. However, what started as a routine investigation took an unexpected twist when officers discovered 29 year old Zhou Zongyon, Wu’s boyfriend, hiding at the same property.
Zhou, a Chinese fugitive with an Interpol Red Notice, was immediately taken into custody. His passport revealed no entry or exit stamps from Thailand, leading to his confession of entering the country illegally through the Cambodian border.
Initially detained for immigration violations, Zhou’s true identity soon emerged after further investigation. It was revealed that he was wanted in China for the kidnapping of a woman in Cambodia.
Zhou allegedly sent horrific images of the woman being tortured to her family while demanding a ransom of 1 million yuan (approximately 4.67 million baht).
The victim remains missing, and Zhou is also linked to money laundering for international call centre scam networks.
The cryptocurrency scam that led to Wu’s arrest began on April 2 last year, when a female Thai teacher was contacted by a scammer on Facebook, lured by an attractive profile.
The conversation moved to the LINE messaging app, where the scammer persuaded the victim to invest in a “Singapore fund” through an app called M-DAQP.
Initially, the teacher saw small returns on her investment, which encouraged her to invest more. However, after transferring 1.5 million baht, she was unable to withdraw her funds. She received only 57,900 baht, resulting in a significant loss.
Cyber Police traced the funds to four Thai nationals who were operating mule accounts used to launder the scam’s proceeds. These funds were converted into USDT cryptocurrency and transferred to Wu’s digital wallet.
During the search, officers uncovered evidence linking Wu to a lavish lifestyle, including luxury cars and large sums of cash, as well as mobile phone images suggesting drug use.
Wu denied the allegations, claiming her ex-boyfriend may have used her details for money laundering operations. Investigators are continuing to analyse electronic evidence to strengthen the case against her.
Both Chinese nationals are expected to face legal proceedings in Thailand before being extradited to China for prosecution. Meanwhile, Thai police are pursuing further suspects linked to the scam, with three Thai mule account operators already arrested, reported KhaoSod English.
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