Photo via Facebook/ YalaToDay ยะลาทูเดย์

 

In a gripping tale of deceit, five Chinese nationals were arrested in Yala province after allegedly swindling an elderly Thai woman out of a substantial sum. The 71-year-old victim, Jiraporn, reported being duped by the group on February 12, losing 800,000 baht in gold and 150,000 baht in cash.

 

The clever scam began when two of the suspects approached Jiraporn, feigning a search for a person named Wang Taisue. Upon gaining her trust, two additional scammers offered to tell her fortune. Using persuasion and trickery, they convinced her that her daughter was in peril and required an urgent ritual involving her valuables.

 

Jiraporn, taken in by their charade, was instructed to place her assets in a plastic bag for the ritual. Unfortunately, once the ritual was "completed," the supposed purifying bag only contained water and soap. The real treasures had vanished.

 

 

Promptly suspicious, Jiraporn reported to Betong Police, who quickly acted and arrested the suspects on February 13 at a local hotel. Police recovered part of the loot, roughly 600,000 baht in gold and 30,000 baht in cash, linking some directly to Jiraporn's stolen property.

 

The group members, identified as Xu Yueqin, Xiang Guiqin, Zhu Mianfang, Li Haiyang, and Ke Kuangxian, entered Thailand on tourist visas. Although they claimed it was their inaugural scheme and denied having the full amount Jiraporn reported stolen, police suspect portions were already converted and profits dispersed.

 

Legal proceedings are underway, with charges potentially carrying penalties of up to three years imprisonment or a fine, according to Section 341 of the Criminal Law on deception. While the authorities investigate further, this story remains a stark reminder of the dangers posed by seemingly benign strangers, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-02-17

 

 

On 2/17/2025 at 5:20 PM, snoop1130 said:

once the ritual was "completed," the supposed purifying bag only contained water and soap. The real treasures had vanished.

 

Promptly suspicious, Jiraporn reported to Betong Police

Still not convinced she has all her marbles.

She lived in an age where people generally can be trusted.  The Chinese also used a "clever" scheme of using traditional rituals that people in their 70s had done in the past.  It's only the newer generations who are more westernized that do not practice such rituals or look back to traditions.