A Thai man who works as a production manager has fallen victim to an online scam that has cost him just over 1.8 million baht. His family, worried about the financial losses, took him to file a police report yesterday, November 28, after he was convinced by fraudsters that he would be refunded the next day.
The scam began when the victim, Natchaphon, attempted to purchase a second-hand Honda Wave motorcycle via a Facebook page offering cheap motorbikes.
Natchaphon initially transferred a deposit of 1,000 baht as requested by the page admin, followed by two further payments of 3,000 baht each, all purportedly for processing fees. However, he was later asked to transfer more money, totalling 40,000 baht, over two days.
When the requests continued, he grew suspicious and stopped further payments after realising he had already exceeded what would have been the cost of the motorcycle.
Following these events, he received a link from a page claiming to assist victims of online fraud. Still hopeful of recovering his initial loss, Natchaphon clicked the link, which led him to another series of deceptive interactions.
He was contacted by someone posing as an official from the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), who claimed they could help retrieve his money. However, before any funds could be returned, Natchaphon was told his financial records needed verification, requiring him to transfer his funds to them.
Down the drain
Over several days, Natchaphon transferred over 1.8 million baht across 20 transactions, believing that his money would be returned once the checks were completed. Most recently, he was asked to transfer an additional 200,000 baht to complete the verification process.
It was at this point that Natchaphon approached his sister for a loan, which led her to realise the gravity of the situation. Concerned that her brother was being scammed, she insisted that they report the incident to the police. Despite his initial reluctance, Natchaphon agreed, hoping to reclaim his lost savings.
Upon filing the report at Sai Noi Police Station in Nonthaburi province, the officers began investigating the bank accounts to which Natchaphon had sent the money. They also advised him to notify his bank to freeze the accounts involved. The police have planned to issue summonses to the account holders for questioning.
Natchaphon, still holding onto the hope of recovering his money, was advised by the alleged AMLO official to keep the matter confidential as it was considered a government secret. He was promised that his money would be returned soon.
However, the police have cautioned him to be wary of such promises and to await the outcome of their investigation, reported KhaoSod.
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