Foreigner Swindles 2-Million THB off Thai Woman on Facebook

October 31, 2013

A rich woman from a well- known family in Phuket (SW Thailand), was swindled through face-book, losing over 2-million THB. The swindler sent her gifts, then a fake “Interpol’ police officer threatened to arrest and prosecute her if she did not pay money into two Thai bank accounts.

Phuket – October 30, 2013 [PDN]: – Police Lieutenant Captain Somboon Malai, the officer of the shift, at Wichit police station, in Phuket, received a complaint from 43-years old Mrs. Paisuda Damrongchonlatee, residing at the house 255, Moo-5 in Rawai at Muang on Phuket (SW Thailand). She stated that she was swindled by a foreigner, who contacted her through face-book, and she lost more than 2 million, when she was threatened.

Mrs. Praisuda testified that a western man named “Nick Holly” used face-book and kept in touch with her for many months, until they became close friends. They exchanged numbers and then the man tried ‘hitting on her,’ so in early October, he told her that he had sent her chocolates, an I-phone plus something special in return for good her friendship with him. He told her to check the online shopping site, and she found that he had indeed bought her the items, as he had said.

October 11th, 2013, – A Thai woman contacted her and claimed that she was an officer in Malaysia and that she checked the parcel and found that there was an I-phone, some chocolate, and 270,000 English pounds in cash inside the package. Then she lied further, saying that officers had to check it first before sending the gifts to Mrs. Praisuda, because they had to know their source. However, if she wanted it faster, she had to send them 20,000 Thai baht, and they gave her a Thai Thanachart bank account number, so she transferred this money.

October 27th, 2013, – The same woman called her again, and claimed that she had to talk to a man, who was an ‘Interpol’ police officer, because there was some guilt in her actions, because of the money transfer system. So the authorities required some monitoring of the source of the money and also a background check. He threatened to arrest and prosecute her and that made her scared, so at noon she sent them a total 2-million Thai baht. This was sent to Thanachart and Bangkok bank accounts and the name of the accounts were in Thai people’s names, but to date she has not got the gifts yet.

Between 28 – 30th, October, – The victim of the swindlers added that the fake ‘Interpol’ police officer, called her to demand another 2.3 million Thai baht, but Mrs. Praisuda had no money left, so she went to her friend’s home, and it was then that she realized she might be a victim of fraud gang, so she asked the police to arrest all of them.

Mrs. Praisuda further commented that she had been chatting with the man until they became close friends and was expecting the gift. After she had waited for a month, there suddenly appeared a man pretending to be an ‘Interpol’ police officer. He had threatened her that he would arrest her because there was 270,000 British pounds hidden in the package, and told her to transfer money to Thai bank accounts many times in exchange for the gifts. She started to doubt theme and realised that they could be a gang of swindlers, so she notified to the police. The police thought there could be someone close to her, who had informed the gang, because she had just sold a land to the value of 7-million Thai baht.

Police Colonel Chavalit Petseepia, the Director of Wichit Police Station, said that after he was notified, he interviewed Mrs. Praisuda himself and established that she had the first surname of Kebsup, as a relative of Mrs. Chalermluk Kebsup, a former member of the House of Representatives, in the Thai Democrat party. Primarily, the police thought that someone who knew her might be involved, because Mrs. Praisuda had just sold land for 7-million Thai baht and had paid off a debt to her younger brother for 5-million Thai baht. By coincidence, this left 2-million Thai baht remaining, so the police will be investigating this matter and hope to bring this swindling gang to justice with severe prosecutions.