Bangkok police have arrested a couple accused of orchestrating a delivery app scam that tricked delivery employees into topping up a digital wallet, causing significant financial losses.
The operation, led by high-ranking police officials, culminated in the capture of the suspects at their home yesterday.
The police were alerted to the criminal activity following complaints from delivery workers who had been manipulated into adding funds to a wallet under the pretense of delivering an order. This elaborate fraud involved the use of a convenience store delivery application that provided false location coordinates and contact numbers to the unsuspecting employees.
Upon nearing the delivery destination, the workers would receive a call from the perpetrators instructing them to add credit to the digital wallet, sometimes with the additional request to top up mobile phone credit. Once the transaction was completed, the criminals would become unreachable, leaving the delivery employees to bear the financial damage.
Further investigations revealed that the phone numbers used to register the digital wallets and link to the delivery app accounts were obtained via third parties hired by the suspects. These individuals were paid to open SIM cards and register for the wallet service, which included face-scanning technology for verification purposes.
The suspects, 23 year old Pornchita and 28 year old Supatra (last names withheld) were nabbed outside their residence in the Bang Kho neighborhood of Jomthong district, Bangkok. They were apprehended following arrest warrants issued by the Nakhon Nayok Provincial Court, reported KhaoSod.
The police operation was a coordinated effort involving the Narcotics Suppression Division and the fourth operational unit of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau. The accused have since been handed over to the investigative officers at the Nakhon Nayok Police Station for further legal proceedings.
In related news, the Government Lottery Office (GLO) issued a warning about the risks associated with purchasing lottery tickets from unauthorised platforms and automated vending machines.
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