Buriram Woman Loses 530,000 Baht in Baffling Bank Transfers

[webfact]

Buriram Woman Loses 530,000 Baht in Baffling Bank Transfers. Picture courtesy: The Bangkok Times

 

A woman from Buriram is distressed after discovering 530,000 baht was mysteriously transferred from her bank account to accounts in China and Vietnam. Despite her insistence that she did not authorise the transactions, two banks are refusing to take responsibility, claiming the transactions appeared legitimate.

 

Benjawan Supanam, a 35-year-old resident, reported to her banks that a substantial sum had vanished from her account. The two banks, Thanachart Bank and Krungthai Bank, suggested she herself made the transactions. Benjawan firmly denies this claim.

 

Benjawan's husband, who works in South Korea, had been sending her money initially into her mother's Bangkok Bank account, which later changed to direct deposits into Benjawan’s Krungthai account, with recent deposits increasing to 80,000 baht monthly. She transferred the surplus to her Thanachart account, amassing savings of 560,000 baht for a new house. 

 

The trouble began on July 21 when Benjawan agreed to lend her aunt 200,000 baht. Upon checking her holdings the following day, she was shocked to find only 30,000 baht left instead of the 560,000 baht she had saved.

 

According to bank records, the money had been transferred using her mobile banking app to Krungthai Bank and then forwarded in increments of 10,000 to 30,000 baht to China and Vietnam.

 

Both banks suggested someone in Benjawan's household might have made the transfers, a claim she disputed, as her parents and young children are not tech-savvy and incapable of such actions. Suspicious that a serious fraud had occurred, the banks warned her against filing a police report, implying she could face legal repercussions for false allegations.

 

Despite her distress, Benjawan obtained transaction records and subsequently lodged a complaint with Nong Song Hong Police Station. The police also advised her to reconsider filing the report to avoid potential legal complications.

 

Trying to find some clarity, Benjawan received a cryptic phone call on July 22, claiming that the missing funds were due to a bank error and promising a refund by the next day. However, the money never reappeared.

 

Benjawan remains in a state of extreme anxiety, urging the banks to re-examine the transactions or appeal for assistance from relevant authorities to resolve her financial nightmare. She is especially concerned since she typically receives transaction notifications through her banking app, making the situation even more perplexing.

 

-- 2024-08-01

 

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[JoePai]

Heard of a few who have had accounts with Krungthai being used 'mysteriously' by scammers

[Tropicalevo]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

the banks warned her against filing a police report, implying she could face legal repercussions for false allegations.

WTF?

The banks covering their Rsses against bad publicity?

[BE88]

No confidence in Thailand's banks.

 

A international bank transfer was made recently to Thai bank but never received it and in response they promised to do a search that could take three months.

I have strong doubts that I will ever receive the amount sent to me.

Edited August 1 by BE88

[JeffersLos]

No ATM or banking App on my main account. 

 

The day to day account is topped up monthly with an amount that can disappear without too much worry, ATM and App attached to it. 

[JeffersLos]

Overseas husband (her at home all day with itchy thumbs?), loan to aunty, I don't believe her.

 

She was offered a 300% ROI deal? Or magic beans? 

[Denim]

4 minutes ago, BE88 said:

No confidence in Thailand's banks.

 

A international bank transfer was made recently to Thai bank but never received it and in response they promised to do a search that could take three months.

I have strong doubts that I will ever receive the amount sent to me.

 

No confidence in their banking apps either. 

[mikebell]

Some time ago, I had a number of strange BKK Bank ATM withdrawals.  I checked the locations with the bank and they were from places I had never been, like Sattahip.  The manager shrugged and said they must have been done by my girlfriend who doesn't drive and was with me 24 hours a day during the scam period.  Only the bank and I knew my PIN.

 

On Tuesday of this week I went in to see my bankers about a problem with my Debit card not being accepted by a hotel.  I waited the customary 70 minutes whilst they did something and all was well.  Nobody could tell me what the problem was.

Edited August 1 by mikebell
extra thoughts.

[Tropicalevo]

32 minutes ago, JoePai said:

Heard of a few who have had accounts with Krungthai being used 'mysteriously' by scammers

Scams are hitting all of the banks. Not just that one.

It is all down to the app developers not knowing how to write security systems and not knowing how to test the apps properly.

 

Not only Thailand, but everywhere we are seeing apps being thrown out to the public and then having problems. ie not tested.

 

I worked in software development for over 30 years and I am horrified by the systems that I see these day.

No apps or even wifi on my phone. It's a telephone for goodness sake. Calls, SMS and photos only.

[2008bangkok]

14 minutes ago, Denim said:

 

No confidence in their banking apps either. 

Why not?

Most of not all are 2fa so why you have no confidence?

[spidermike007]

Suspicious that a serious fraud had occurred, the banks warned her against filing a police report, implying she could face legal repercussions for false allegations.

 

That is simply extreme idiocy on the part of the banks, and an attempt to use the spectacularly cowardly defamation laws against an honest customer. The banks should be prosecuted for threatening this lady with legal repercussions. The bank should be held to account, however we all know that they're protected at the highest level, so that's just not going to happen. 

 

We need to use defamation every opportunity we get, sometimes shame and  humiliation are the only tools that work here. Doing the right thing is rarely part of a bank's repertoire, so they need to be forced into behaving correctly.

 

Never, ever cower in the face of defamation threats. Face them head on and take the bull by the horns. 

[HK MacPhooey]

3 hours ago, JeffersLos said:

No ATM or banking App on my main account. 

 

The day to day account is topped up monthly with an amount that can disappear without too much worry, ATM and App attached to it. 

There’s always one ‘holier than thou’

[jippytum]

If the banks and the police advise against this woman making a formal complaint what chance does she have to expose these scammers and recoup her loss. 

[Jackbenimble]

4 hours ago, JoePai said:

Heard of a few who have had accounts with Krungthai being used 'mysteriously' by scammers

by scammers you mean "staff" I presume? It happens much more than is reported. The banks intimidate the people who have had money taken dishonestly. Not good publicity at all if word got out. Its a daunting task for the best of us to challenge a bank......they are never wrong and they are all powerful. This woman needs justice and the RTP need a kick up the jacksy for missing a trick too. They could have helped for a small %, surely. 

[ronster]

Her husband seems well paid if he's sending 80000 a month to her. 

What was the aunt wanting the money for and how did she give it to her or did she not get the chance to give it to her aunt ?

Seems banks here just deny everything and say find out yourself to most problems.

[Jackbenimble]

4 minutes ago, jippytum said:

If the banks and the police advise against this woman making a formal complaint what chance does she have to expose these scammers and recoup her loss. 

she needs to broker a deal with the police. On results only. 

[wwest5829]

3 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

WTF?

The banks covering their Rsses against bad publicity?

In part, the reason I use the monthly transfer method for immigration requirements. Limits the potential economic damage.

[Jackbenimble]

21 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Suspicious that a serious fraud had occurred, the banks warned her against filing a police report, implying she could face legal repercussions for false allegations.

 

That is simply extreme idiocy on the part of the banks, and an attempt to use the spectacularly cowardly defamation laws against an honest customer. The banks should be prosecuted for threatening this lady with legal repercussions. The bank should be held to account, however we all know that they're protected at the highest level, so that's just not going to happen. 

 

We need to use defamation every opportunity we get, sometimes shame and  humiliation are the only tools that work here. Doing the right thing is rarely part of a bank's repertoire, so they need to be forced into behaving correctly.

 

Never, ever cower in the face of defamation threats. Face them head on and take the bull by the horns. 

the banks reported response is an admission of guilt in itself and in any western country a Lawyer would be all over it. Here? The lawyers are nothing more than pen pushers. She needs to broker a deal with the police and find one of those "influencers" to bring the story into the full glare of the public. 

Carefully worded ofc so as not to upset anyone. 

[placnx]

3 hours ago, Denim said:

 

No confidence in their banking apps either. 

 My bank abolished online banking and said that customers should use their banking app. I will never do that. Fortunately I had already chosen to get a text message if there are withdrawals exceeding 5000 Baht. Of course that was set up through online banking. This is for a passbook account.

 

If customers want to get such a text message service, can they set this up at their bank branch, or is the only option using the banking app? The latter would be bad, since once a banking app has been downloaded, that might open the customer up to illicit withdrawals, even if he/she deleted the app right after setting up the text message service. That's my fear, anyway.

[Nip]

Every single move in and out of my SCB and Bangkok Bank accounts are flagged by instant notifications including by email. Also on my Line App. She’s caught that’s why she was warned. 

Edited August 1 by Nip

[fallup88]

17 minutes ago, ronster said:

Her husband seems well paid if he's sending 80000 a month to her. 

What was the aunt wanting the money for and how did she give it to her or did she not get the chance to give it to her aunt ?

Seems banks here just deny everything and say find out yourself to most problems.

Thai workers in Korea make minimum of 40-50,000 plus per month, if you put in overtime - it can easily reach 80k or more.

[arick]

Bangkok Bank bank transfers were down yesterday so I spent an hour and a half on the phone with them today they said they're going to be updating all the transfers today up to 2:00 p.m..

[JeffersLos]

The police can help for 80,000 a month. 

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, JoePai said:

Heard of a few who have had accounts with Krungthai being used 'mysteriously' by scammers

Interesting...you have a few examples?    Hearsay?

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

8 hours ago, webfact said:

the banks warned her against filing a police report, implying she could face legal repercussions for false allegations.

WTF?

The banks covering their Rsses against bad publicity?

Why shouldn't they if they prove not to be at fault?

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, BE88 said:

No confidence in Thailand's banks.

 

A international bank transfer was made recently to Thai bank but never received it and in response they promised to do a search that could take three months.

I have strong doubts that I will ever receive the amount sent to me.

If your Thai bank did not receive it, the chances are that the remitting non-Thai "international" bank was at fault, surely?  

[fallup88]

I’ve seen on Thai news couple month ago where scammers can infect phones and empty accounts in seconds even bypassing the banks facial recognition security for large transfers 

[ronster]

7 minutes ago, fallup88 said:

Thai workers in Korea make minimum of 40-50,000 plus per month, if you put in overtime - it can easily reach 80k or more.

So not eating , paying for flight , getting the job or accommodation. 🤔

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, mikebell said:

Only the bank and I knew my PIN

Why did you give bank staff your PIN?

[JoePai]

8 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Interesting...you have a few examples?    Hearsay?

2 x Examples