Bangkok: Metropolitan Police Bureau arrests suspects in a romance scam gang who created fancy profiles and tricked people into lending them money to pay taxes, resulting in a loss of over 1.1 million baht. Pol. Lt. Col. Kanitnon Thanomsri, Superintendent of Investigation Division 1, along with Task Force 4, successfully apprehended Mr. Kotcharat, 22, under the Criminal Court arrest warrant No. 4505/2567 dated September 16, 2567. The charges include ‘jointly committing fraud by impersonating another person and by fraud or deception, by entering distorted or forged computer data, whether in whole or in part, or false computer data in a manner likely to cause damage to others.’ The arrest took place at a location in Bang Yo Subdistrict, Phra Pradaeng District, Samut Prakan Province.
According to Thai News Agency, the scam unfolded when the informant engaged with a Facebook user under the name ‘Chul Yung.’ This individual falsely claimed to be ‘Chul Yung,’ a South Korean oil drilling engineer based in California
, USA. The two parties communicated further through the Line application, where ‘Chul Yung’ concocted a story about needing to borrow money to cover transportation taxes and unblock an account. The victim was convinced and transferred a total of 1,152,500 baht over eight transactions into the suspect’s account.
Upon his arrest, Mr. Kotcharat denied all charges and was subsequently taken to the Prachachuen Police Station for further legal processing. Pol. Col. Thiradej Thamsuthee, Commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s Crime Suppression Division, highlighted the common tactics of romance scams, noting that perpetrators often lure victims by creating fake profiles on online dating platforms, posing as trustworthy businessmen or millionaires to deceive and exploit their assets.
He advised the public to be cautious, noting signs of potential scams such as quick transitions in communication platforms, reluctance to meet in person, and frequent discussions of financial struggles. He urged individuals to th
oroughly verify the information and images of online acquaintances and to refrain from transferring money to strangers. Victims of such scams are encouraged to contact the hotline 1441 immediately for assistance.