Phuket scam busted: Con artist’s mule accounts hit a dead end
Phuket police slammed the brakes on a staggering 22 million baht scam operation, ensnaring a suspect accused of creating mule accounts for a crafty con gang, with one even masquerading as a top politician
The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) revealed that the devious group duped unsuspecting victims by impersonating a well-known political figure, luring them into investing in a bogus cryptocurrency platform.
The treacherous ruse left victims nursing significant financial wounds. Prachya, the scam’s key player in Phuket, was busted for setting up fraudulent bank accounts.
Last Thursday, January 9, cyber police swooped on Prachya in Koh Kaew, acting on an arrest warrant courtesy of the Thanyaburi Provincial Court. As the plot thickened, further warrants emerged from the Saem Dam and Pathum Thani City police stations, adding weight to the CCIB’s case.
In an interrogation room confession, Prachya confessed to previous prison time which made job-hunting tough. Lured in by promises of quick cash, he agreed to open bank accounts for an online gambling syndicate, pocketing 800 baht per account. He opened a total of seven, each later exploited for fraudulent ends.
Now locked up, Prachya faces a slew of charges, including public fraud through deceitful practices, importing falsified data into computer systems, and aiding and abetting the illicit use of bank accounts and electronic cards.
The CCIB remains on the trail of justice, vowing to bring the fraudulent gang members to book and ensure they face the full force of the law, reported Phuket News.
Meanwhile, the Thai police last week uncovered a high-tech heist in Chon Buri, where nearly 1,000 bitcoin mining machines were illegally powering up at the expense of the public.
A joint operation by the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) exposed a bitcoin mining setup in Chon Buri’s Phanat Nikhom district that had been tampering with its power meter to steal electricity worth hundreds of millions of baht.
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