Udon Thani police rescue student held by scam gang

Police in Udon Thani rescued an 18-year-old first-year university student on 3 August after scammers allegedly tricked her into handing over 140,000 baht, then confined herself in a hotel while they demanded further money from her family.

The gang reportedly posed as AIS staff and police officers, telling the student, identified only as "Dao", that her phone number was linked to mule accounts and money laundering.

Udon Thani City Police, led by superintendent Pol Col Pattawong Chanphon, worked with the student's relatives to find her at a hotel room in the province. She was safely rescued while the scammers were reportedly still controlling her through an iPad video call.

Threats, fake documents and stolen gold

According to police, the fraudsters sent counterfeit official documents and conducted video calls using a backdrop resembling a real police station to make their claims appear credible.

They allegedly told the student to take her mother's gold jewellery, weighing 2.5 baht in gold weight, to a pawnshop. She received 140,000 baht and transferred the full amount to the gang, who claimed it was needed for an investigation.

The student was then instructed to turn off her phone, block contact channels and rent a hotel room where she was to remain alone. The scammers kept her under constant video-call supervision from her Ipad, police said, leaving her unable to sleep and disorientated.

AI voice used in ransom demand

When friends and relatives could not reach her, the scammers contacted her mother and claimed the student had been abducted. They demanded 100,000 baht and threatened to cut off her arms and legs.

Police said the criminals used AI technology to imitate the student's voice during the call, apparently to make the threats more convincing.

Her uncle became suspicious after noticing abnormalities in the AI-generated voice. He remained calm, took the student's mother to police and filed a report.

Officers traced the student's location through her Instagram account, identified the hotel and entered the room using a key card.

Authorities reported that the investigation remains ongoing, as they work to identify and track down the suspects.

Pictures courtesy of Daily News

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4 August 2026