Nigerian and 13 Thais arrested for operating romance scam

[snoop1130]

 

Royal Thai Police yesterday arrested a Nigerian man and 13 Thais for operating a covert romance scam. The scam operation managed to deceive hundreds of victims across Thailand out of over 800 million baht in the past four years.

 

The Commissioner of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), Montri Tatekhan, revealed the arrest details to the public today. Montri explained that the victims filed a complaint against a romance scam gang at the beginning of 2022.

 

The victims revealed to officers that the scammers used profiles of attractive foreign women to approach them on social media. The scammers informed them that they were American soldiers performing duties in Syria. After gaining the trust of the victims, they would express their desire to come to Thailand to see the victims. However, before their journeys, they would inform the victim that they sent gifts or some parcels into Bangkok via the airports. Then, they would lure the victims into paying taxes or other relevant expenses for them in advance and they would return it when they met each other.

 

A group of Thai scammers then contacted the victims pretending to be airport authorities and demanded money for the alleged parcel-receiving process. After getting the amount they wanted, the scammer would disappear and block all the contact channels with the victims.

 

The police conducted a further investigation until they managed to identify the gang leader, 45 year old Ezeneche Uzochukwu Jerome. Jerome had been previously charged with a love scam in 2018 but managed to re-engage in the illicit operation.

 

By Petch Petpailin

Caption: Photo via Facebook/ POLICETV สถานีโทรทัศน์สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/scam-of-hearts-and-bahts-nigerian-and-13-thais-arrested-for-operating-romance-scam

 

-- Thaiger 2023-08-25

 

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[OneMoreFarang]

13 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Jerome had been previously charged with a love scam in 2018 but managed to re-engage in the illicit operation.

So what was the punishment last time?

Did he return all the money to the 2018 victims?

Was he in jail?

[Bim Smith]

So he has done it before and is still in the country. 

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

After gaining the trust of the victims, they would express their desire to come to Thailand to see the victims. However, before their journeys, they would inform the victim that they sent gifts or some parcels into Bangkok via the airports. Then, they would lure the victims into paying taxes or other relevant expenses for them in advance and they would return it when they met each other.

Dummies.

[harleyclarkey]

This must be a mistake. Surely not Nigerians?

A fine upstanding law abiding race. 

 

[pablo1]

where's my parcel???

[Reigntax]

Nigerians and Thais involved in scams 

whi would have thought 

[renaissanc]

I suggest that Jerome is put in a cell room full of homosexuals since he is so fond of love.

[brianthainess]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The scammers informed them that they were American soldiers performing duties in Syria.

Attractive American soldiers, well of course they would find Thai men irresistible, what's not to believe in that. 

 

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Jerome had been previously charged with a love scam in 2018 but managed to re-engage in the illicit operation

Well let us hope this time they do their job effectively and get him jailed for a while and then out of the country... rather than carry on freely for 5 more years. 

[brianthainess]

I'd love to know the profile of some of these Thai men, who fell for this scam. 

[neeray]

There must be a sh*t load of palatial estates in Nigeria. The vast amount of scammers that I hear and read about are Nigerian. Surely it can't all be done by just one kingpin. If so, he/she must be a trillionaire by now.

[brianthainess]

Over 4 years, about 59k $ a year split how many ways 14 about 4,000 dollars a year if split equally which I doubt very much. Bar girls can easily earn that a year. So a friend told me.

[RichardColeman]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The scam operation managed to deceive hundreds of victims across Thailand out of over 800 million baht in the past four years.

Said it in the past, that the sentence should always fit the crime - in this case there should be a set sentence for things like this - say 1 year prison for every 1,000,000 baht, plus additional sentences for non repayment of the money during the prison stay.

[JoePai]

53 minutes ago, Reigntax said:

Nigerians and Thais involved in scams 

whi would have thought 

Peas in a pod

[IndomitableSpirit]

They have been operating around Southeast Asia for awhile now. They used to be largely based in Malaysia. There's even a Thai woman who lost 4 million baht, a Filipina who sold her house to "help" the handsome soldier and one who believed she's in a relationship with Post Malone and gladly paid/lent him money.????????‍♀️ I feel bad for them as victims are usually those who lack love/intimacy, but their desperation is downright stupid! 

 

I receive friend requests every day from these SCAMbags on FB and IG. I played around with some just to check the pattern of their scam. When they think I'm falling already, I go on a crazy jealous gf rant haha. Then I ask them if they can lend me money because I need to fund my coffee addiction???? One was so mad he said I will be cursed with his voodoo and everyone in my family will die. I sent him Bible verses????

[mancub]

36 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Over 4 years, about 59k $ a year split how many ways 14 about 4,000 dollars a year if split equally which I doubt very much. Bar girls can easily earn that a year. So a friend told me.

That might be right if the figure was only 8m baht...............not 800m as reported.

[mancub]

57 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

I'd love to know the profile of some of these Thai men, who fell for this scam. 

Thai women I/d guess !

[London Boy]

This happens a lot in the UK, with scammers often targeting elderly divorced/widowed, lonely women. Their losses would run into tens of thousands of pounds. There a BBC series dedicated to it to warn others from falling for it. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000b1px

[brianthainess]

8 minutes ago, mancub said:

Thai women I/d guess !

So lesbians ? 

 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

used profiles of attractive foreign women to approach them on social media. The scammers informed them that they were American soldiers

 

[brianthainess]

16 minutes ago, mancub said:

That might be right if the figure was only 8m baht...............not 800m as reported.

Opps my mistake

[sammieuk1]

Shocked!! I had crown prince Nudri on the blower only last week with a stamp collection I had won ????

[Sydebolle]

Without "Khon Afliccaaahhhh" this article would have never made the news - me thinks! 

[Older and Wiser]

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

Over 4 years, about 59k $ a year split how many ways 14 about 4,000 dollars a year if split equally which I doubt very much. Bar girls can easily earn that a year. So a friend told me.

800m Baht is 20m dollars, 5m dollars a year.

[brianthainess]

7 minutes ago, Older and Wiser said:

800m Baht is 20m dollars, 5m dollars a year.

Well thank you for being the second one to point out my mistake, what would I do without you guys. 

[gerritkaew]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The police conducted a further investigation until they managed to identify the gang leader, 45 year old Ezeneche Uzochukwu Jerome. Jerome had been previously charged with a love scam in 2018 but managed to re-engage in the illicit operation.

thay never lurn, like pitbulls, never trust them.. Nigerians or all Afrikan people..

[Jackbenimble]

well at least it makes a refreshing change from Thai women scamming western men out of money.........the forums are full of these guys and they get little sympathy (or help from the law). Now Thais are being scammed its not ok though lol. There back-story to this article is just how many sad, lonely and gullable Thai guys there are. With all the beautiful women in Thailand what on earth is wrong with them? 

[Hakuna Matata]

Well, it's time for Nigerian bashing?

 

I have been to Nigeria in 2006, mostly Nigerians are very nice people. There are good and bad people in any country including China, United States, Great Britain, Ukraine, Poland, etc.

[Jackbenimble]

4 minutes ago, gerritkaew said:

thay never lurn, like pitbulls, never trust them.. Nigerians or all Afrikan people..

what a childish & feeble attempt to bring pitbulls into the conversation. 

[fvw53]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

Royal Thai Police yesterday arrested a Nigerian man and 13 Thais for operating a covert romance scam. The scam operation managed to deceive hundreds of victims across Thailand out of over 800 million baht in the past four years.

 

The Commissioner of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), Montri Tatekhan, revealed the arrest details to the public today. Montri explained that the victims filed a complaint against a romance scam gang at the beginning of 2022.

 

The victims revealed to officers that the scammers used profiles of attractive foreign women to approach them on social media. The scammers informed them that they were American soldiers performing duties in Syria. After gaining the trust of the victims, they would express their desire to come to Thailand to see the victims. However, before their journeys, they would inform the victim that they sent gifts or some parcels into Bangkok via the airports. Then, they would lure the victims into paying taxes or other relevant expenses for them in advance and they would return it when they met each other.

 

A group of Thai scammers then contacted the victims pretending to be airport authorities and demanded money for the alleged parcel-receiving process. After getting the amount they wanted, the scammer would disappear and block all the contact channels with the victims.

 

The police conducted a further investigation until they managed to identify the gang leader, 45 year old Ezeneche Uzochukwu Jerome. Jerome had been previously charged with a love scam in 2018 but managed to re-engage in the illicit operation.

 

By Petch Petpailin

Caption: Photo via Facebook/ POLICETV สถานีโทรทัศน์สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/scam-of-hearts-and-bahts-nigerian-and-13-thais-arrested-for-operating-romance-scam

 

-- Thaiger 2023-08-25

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

How can this scam after so many years of crime reports still convince people?