Virtual Kidnapping in Bangkok. Picture courtesy: 6sparknews China

 

Thai police have saved a Chinese woman in Bangkok from a virtual kidnapping orchestrated by a scam gang that extorted 15 million baht from her parents. 

 

The incident started when Liang Luihua, a Chinese man, received a disturbing call on the morning of July 29. The caller, posing as a kidnapper, demanded a ransom of 3 million yuan (approximately 15 million baht) for the safe return of his daughter, 21-year-old Wang Jia Bao, who was in Bangkok.

 

Instead of complying, Liang reported the incident to police in Japan, where his daughter was studying, as well as in China. He also asked his Thai business partner, Napaphat Noppasettakarn, to inform Thai authorities.

 

Police at Suvarnabhumi Airport used CCTV footage to track Wang Jia Bao’s movements. She had arrived at the airport from Japan on July 28 and was seen taking a taxi to Soi Kasemsan 2, near the MBK shopping mall.

 

She was later spotted around 6 pm the same day exiting Jim Thompson Museum with souvenirs, a hat, and a scarf, before taking a tuk-tuk to Chatuchak Weekend Market.

 

Aided by this information, police located Wang Jia Bao at a condominium in Soi Sukhumvit 81, safe and uninjured. It turns out she was never physically kidnapped but had been manipulated by call centre scammers who posed as Chinese police officers.

 

They accused her of fictional crimes and convinced her to transfer 2.5 million baht and to stage a fake kidnapping to extort money from her parents.

 

The scam gang’s modus operandi involves targeting Chinese students studying overseas. Similar incidents have been reported in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Superintendent Jakkapong Nutpadung of Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station revealed that these gangs specifically target Chinese nationals studying abroad.

 

A related case involved a Chinese student in Australia whose parents were similarly targeted. She was found safe in a Bangkok hotel after the gang demanded 40 million baht from her parents.

 

Through swift action and international cooperation, Thai police thwarted the scam without any financial loss to the victims.

 

-- 2024-08-01

 

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3 hours ago, webfact said:

They accused her of fictional crimes and convinced her to transfer 2.5 million baht and to stage a fake kidnapping

 

Someone lost 2.5 million baht so it would appear that the police did not ..........

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

 thwart the scam without any financial loss to the victims.

 

 

If it were a virtual kidnapping....can she not pay with virtual money?

3 hours ago, webfact said:

A related case involved a Chinese student in Australia whose parents were similarly targeted. She was found safe in a Bangkok hotel after the gang demanded 40 million baht from her parents.

 

 

Kidnapped in Australia and found in a BKK hotel.....?

 

Sounds like these kids have found a way to scam their own parent's.

Well she did enter visa-free, so saved a bit there.

3 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Sounds like these kids have found a way to scam their own parent's.

Quite, makes more sense.

Sound like a load of BS to me how do you get not kidnapped just goes to show how stupid the Chinese are

These so called kidnappers must be loving the Thai government saying they expect 8 million Chinese to come here 😀🤑

Crimes involving Chinese are happening almost everyday... sigh... more than any other tourists. 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Chinese students studying overseas

What makes them so vulnerable? I mean, more than other nationalities.

5 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

If it were a virtual kidnapping....can she not pay with virtual money?

Virtually impossible

7 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

If it were a virtual kidnapping....can she not pay with virtual money?

As long as she's not virtually skint 

Gee, sure hope this doesn't get circulated on Chinese social media and hurt Chinese tourism numbers to Thailand.

Makes you wonder how this is even a thing; I've heard of it before, so I know it does happen. I think the last one I heard of was also a Chinese student. When I was 21 if you called me and gave me some BS story about being the police I just would have laughed and hung up. 

16 hours ago, webfact said:

It turns out she was never physically kidnapped but had been manipulated by call centre scammers who posed as Chinese police officers.

 

They accused her of fictional crimes and convinced her to transfer 2.5 million baht and to stage a fake kidnapping to extort money from her parents.

Yeah, because police officers are well known for advising people to stage fake kidnappings.

 

Who makes this garbage up?

18 hours ago, webfact said:

A related case involved a Chinese student in Australia whose parents were similarly targeted. She was found safe in a Bangkok hotel

 

Bangkok, Australia? 

On 8/1/2024 at 1:07 PM, ronster said:

These so called kidnappers must be loving the Thai government saying they expect 8 million Chinese to come here 😀🤑

How many of these will leave?

Just asking.