Chinese Fraud Gang Arrested After Scamming Thai Elderly Woman of Gold and Cash

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

A gang of Chinese fraudsters has been arrested in Yala after deceiving an elderly Thai woman into handing over a substantial amount of gold and cash in an elaborate scam.

Police confirmed that the gang had swindled 17 baht of gold jewellery, worth approximately 800,000 baht, along with 150,000 baht in cash by posing as fortune tellers. The fraudsters were apprehended at a hotel in Yala city after a police investigation.

The scam came to light on 13 February, when Jiraporn, a 71-year-old resident of Betong, reported the incident to the police. She explained that she had been standing outside an electronics shop in Betong district when a woman, estimated to be in her 50s, approached her and struck up a conversation, asking about someone named Wang Tai Si.

Shortly after, two more women joined the conversation and persuaded Jiraporn to sit down for a meal. One of them claimed to be a fortune teller and, in an effort to gain her trust, accurately described personal details about her family, including the number of children she had and which ones had passed away.

The so-called fortune teller then warned Jiraporn that her daughter was facing severe misfortune and urgently needed a spiritual cleansing ritual to remove bad luck. To perform this, she was instructed to place all her valuables in a bag for the ritual.

Jiraporn, believing the fraudsters, returned home to collect gold jewellery, cash, and some foreign currency, and placed them into a bag as instructed. The fraudsters told her not to open it for one month. However, when she became suspicious and checked the bag the next day, she discovered that her valuables had been replaced with dishwashing liquid bottles and water bottles.

After receiving the complaint, officers from Betong Police Station and Yala Provincial Police launched an investigation, analysing CCTV footage to trace the suspects’ movements. Once their location was identified, officers raided a hotel in Yala city, where they successfully arrested the entire gang and recovered some of the stolen assets.

Authorities revealed that similar scams had been reported in Yala in previous years, and police suspect the criminals had inside knowledge of their victims’ personal details. Investigators believe local accomplices may have provided information to the fraudsters, helping them gain victims’ trust.

Police are urging anyone who has been scammed in a similar manner to come forward. The case is now under further investigation, with the fraudsters set to face legal proceedings.

-- 2025-02-15