81 year old Thai man loses 22 million baht to police impersonator

[snoop1130]

 

An 81 year old Thai man lost life savings worth 22 million baht to a scammer who impersonated a police officer and accused the victim of being involved in illegal businesses.

 

The 81 year old victim, Praisan, a former leader of the business planning team at the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), sought help from his son, who works in the stock market in Singapore, regarding the accusation of his involvement in illegal businesses.

 

Paisan’s son listened to his father’s issue and concluded that he was not involved in any illegal operation but fell victim to a call centre scam.

 

Paisan revealed in an interview with Channel 7 that he received a call from a scammer claiming to be an officer from Ayutthaya Provincial Police. The police impersonator told him that his bank account was involved in illegal businesses and must be investigated.

 

To prove his innocence, the police impersonator ordered Paisan to transfer over 19 million baht to a police bank account for further investigation.

 

The fake police officer told Paisan to follow instructions sent via the Line application instead of visiting the police station. The scammer said he would take care of his case online for Paisan’s convenience, as it would be difficult for a person of his age to travel to Ayutthaya.

 

Fake cop’s actions

 

The scammer did not stop at 19 million baht. The fake police officer continued to trick Paisan into transferring more money, saying he had to place 2.2 million baht as a guarantee to get the initial amount he transferred back.

 

Paisan, who had run out of money, pawned his house for 3 million baht and transferred the amount to the scammer. The police impersonator asked Paisan to pay more but he ran out of money and sought help from his son.

 

Paisan revealed to the media that he could not sleep or eat since the incident. The stress almost drove him to take his own life. He hoped the police would help him retrieve his home and money.

 

Paisan’s son told the media that he was angry at the scammer and wished the scammers would have pity on people and stop scamming them. He said honest people who worked hard their whole lives to save money should not be victims of these scammers.

 

The son also left a message for the Bank of Thailand and relevant authorities to take call centre scams seriously. He said authorities and each bank could use technology to track down the scammers’ accounts or suspend suspicious customer transfers.

 

By Petch Petpailin

Photo via DailyNews

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-06-10

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[Pouatchee]

 

who would be stupid enough to blindly transfer so much money without talking to a lawyer, or family first?

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, Pouatchee said:

 

who would be stupid enough to blindly transfer so much money without talking to a lawyer, or family first?

Paisan

[stoner]

1 hour ago, Pouatchee said:

 

who would be stupid enough to blindly transfer so much money without talking to a lawyer, or family first?

 

also who is stupid enough to believe a man who worked at the PUC can acquire that much wealth without being corrupt himself.

[Baht Simpson]

35 minutes ago, stoner said:

 

also who is stupid enough to believe a man who worked at the PUC can acquire that much wealth without being corrupt himself.

Well. he was a business planning leader at EGAT and his son works in the stock exchange. Also he's 81 so plenty of time to squirrel away some money. He might have other assets too, rental, land sales etc. It is possible.

[stoner]

1 minute ago, Baht Simpson said:

Well. he was a business planning leader at EGAT

 

what does this pay though ? maybe 30 or 40 a month. didn't exactly start there so the majority of his career he would of been making much less. 

 

seems all fishy to me. 

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

To prove his innocence, the police impersonator ordered Paisan to transfer over 19 million baht to a police bank account for further investigation

Immediate red flag....

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

 

who would be stupid enough to blindly transfer so much money without talking to a lawyer, or family first?

An idiot.

[Muhendis]

11 hours ago, stoner said:

 

what does this pay though ? maybe 30 or 40 a month. didn't exactly start there so the majority of his career he would of been making much less. 

 

seems all fishy to me. 

Not fishy atall.

EGAT is owned by the ministry of energy therefore Paisan was, in effect, a government employee. I think we are all aware what that means.

Paisan knew he had some unexplained wealth and thought he had been found out so he tried to buy his way out.

[TheFishman1]

I guess government employees have a good salary what is a little over 600,000 amazing Thailand TIT

[nobodysfriend]

By investigating the bank account ( holder ) , where the money was transferred to , police should get a clue ...

Not so easy to extort money when bank accounts are involved ... some traces will stay ...

 

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The scammer did not stop at 19 million baht. The fake police officer continued to trick Paisan into transferring more money, saying he had to place 2.2 million baht as a guarantee to get the initial amount he transferred back.

 

Paisan, who had run out of money, pawned his house for 3 million baht and transferred the amount to the scammer.

 

Transferred ... but how exactly ?

[klauskunkel]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

To prove his innocence, the police impersonator ordered Paisan to transfer over 19 million baht to a police bank account for further investigation.

One question he should have asked: How does transferring money prove my innocence, explain your investigation technique please?

The problem is the inherent reflex of blindly obeying any authority figure, and no critical thoughts questioning that authority.

It's a cumulative effect of education and culture, systematically designed to produce a pliable and conforming population.

 

 

[The Alien]

How do scammers identify individuals with substantial funds?  Banks can prevent such incidents effectively by contacting customers to verify transactions.

[Bangkok Barry]

I am no longer amazed at the child-like naivety of some Thai adults. We read of similar scams over and over again. Even telling him not to go in person to the police station was a red flag in itself. And this wasn't some ignorant and uneducated farmer - he held a responsible position.

 

[oxo1947]

6 minutes ago, The Alien said:

 Banks can prevent such incidents effectively by contacting customers to verify transactions.

He would have just verified that he wanted it transferred...

A good day for the scammers.

[Thingamabob]

Paisan obviously panicked, thinking that he was going to be questioned as to how he amassed a fortune of 21 million baht on the modest salary of a government employee.

[john donson]

wow, he had a good salary to amass so many millions on top of houses and cars...

 

did he sold electricity off grid as a hobby ?

[realfunster]

15 hours ago, Baht Simpson said:

Well. he was a business planning leader at EGAT and his son works in the stock exchange. Also he's 81 so plenty of time to squirrel away some money. He might have other assets too, rental, land sales etc. It is possible.

It is possible, on the other hand most retirees eat into their savings after retirement. Having USD 600k cash in the bank at the age 81 would put him in the very top wealth bracket in any developed country.

 

Being 81, he probably would have retired either 16 or 21 years ago. Imagine what his retirement savings potentially were back then. 
 

Anyhow, as this is pure speculation, I will unreservedly join the condemnation of the taking of his life savings. 

[SmartyMarty]

18 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

 

who would be stupid enough to blindly transfer so much money without talking to a lawyer, or family first?

A Thai. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The 81 year old victim, Praisan, a former leader of the business planning team at the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT)

 

Being a civil servant must pay extremely well in Thialand. 😆

[Mr Meeseeks]

15 hours ago, Baht Simpson said:

Well. he was a business planning leader at EGAT and his son works in the stock exchange. Also he's 81 so plenty of time to squirrel away some money. He might have other assets too, rental, land sales etc. It is possible.

 

🤣

 

4 hours ago, Muhendis said:

Not fishy atall.

EGAT is owned by the ministry of energy therefore Paisan was, in effect, a government employee. I think we are all aware what that means.

Paisan knew he had some unexplained wealth and thought he had been found out so he tried to buy his way out.

 

Bingo.

[Mr Meeseeks]

One of the big scams they perpetrate is buying land. The person in charge that signs off on it usually gets a big brown envelope from the sellers for allowing the land sale to go through, often at vastly inflated prices. 

 

The land, bought under false pretences to be used for a sub-station or offices etc. is never used but remains an asset of the government dept.

[Berkshire]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I am no longer amazed at the child-like naivety of some Thai adults. We read of similar scams over and over again. Even telling him not to go in person to the police station was a red flag in itself. And this wasn't some ignorant and uneducated farmer - he held a responsible position.

 

Come on man.  I read about older Americans in the US getting scammed all the time.  No need to bash on the "child-like naivety" of the Thais over this.

[Liverpool Lou]

16 hours ago, stoner said:

 

also who is stupid enough to believe a man who worked at the PUC can acquire that much wealth without being corrupt himself.

"...who is stupid enough to believe..."

Who?...anyone who is stupid enough to believe that successfully saving and investing (and maybe inheriting) for the best part of 80 years is not possible and that the only way to accumulate wealth is to receive a salary, that's who.

[thatwassilly]

If you attempt to transfer that amount in the UK or even an 1/10th of that, the bank will want to chat with you first,  I have to click two warnings regards scams just to move a grand to my own Wise.com account. I think the banks here in Thailand take a more relax attitude because they don't want to disturb illicit flows of money and the powerful people behind them.

[Liverpool Lou]

16 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

18 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

 

who would be stupid enough to blindly transfer so much money without talking to a lawyer, or family first?

Paisan

An 81-year old who, unfortunately, may no longer be as sharp as AN posters are.

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

18 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

who would be stupid enough to blindly transfer so much money without talking to a lawyer, or family first?

An idiot.

...or a very old man whose faculties may no longer be what they once may have been.

[Liverpool Lou]

16 hours ago, stoner said:

 

what does this pay though ? maybe 30 or 40 a month. didn't exactly start there so the majority of his career he would of been making much less. 

 

seems all fishy to me. 

Everything probably seems fishy to people who use the (non-existing) phrase "would of".

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, Muhendis said:

Paisan knew he had some unexplained wealth and thought he had been found out so he tried to buy his way out.

Is that a fact?   Reads more like an unfounded, unjustified, ignorant accusation.

Edited June 11 by Liverpool Lou

[Neeranam]

Many people laughing at the guy's stupidity. I've had a phone call from a fake policeman and it's a scary experience, and hard to know if they are real and out to get you or not.