Report Thai Engineer Scammed Out of 8 Million Baht in Elaborate Scheme

[snoop1130]

Photo: Bangkok Post

 

In a harrowing tale that has gripped the Thai public, a 32-year-old engineer with a PhD, referred to only as Siwat, was duped out of more than 8 million baht by an intricate phone scam. The incident came to light after Siwat sought help from social media activist Ekkapop Luangprasert, founder of the Sai Mai Tong Rod Facebook page, where the story quickly went viral.

 

The ordeal began on April 5 when Siwat received a phone call from an individual claiming to be an official from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). The caller accused him of involvement in opening mule accounts linked to a notorious former politician, now under arrest. This unexpected accusation left Siwat in shock.

 

The scammers' tactics were highly sophisticated. They managed to convince Siwat to add them as a friend on the Line chat app, escalating the scam with video calls and official-looking documents. These documents detailed the confiscation of mule accounts and instructed Siwat to transfer his funds for "examination of the money trail." The caller insisted that Siwat remain in a location where he would be undisturbed to ensure compliance.

 

What ensued was a week-long ordeal characterised by relentless pressure and threats. Siwat described feeling trapped, as he was warned that failure to comply would result in the confiscation of his assets and those of his family. Additional calls from a supposed female DSI official added to the deception, escalating the sense of urgency and fear.

 

Throughout the seven-day scam, Siwat was coerced into making 11 separate money transfers from five different bank accounts, totalling 8.46 million baht. Even more striking was the gang's demand for Siwat to visit Hat Yai in Songkhla province to convert savings certificates from a Government Savings Bank into further transfers. This elaborate ruse involved keeping the call active during the journey, barring moments when Siwat boarded a flight.

 

Despite living abroad for nine years, Siwat had never encountered scams of this magnitude. Having returned to Thailand a year prior, he was initially confident in recognising scam attempts due to frequent calls from fraudsters. However, this new modus operandi, with its formal documentation and persistent threats, caught him off guard.

 

The situation deteriorated further when the scammers attempted to have Siwat mortgage his 7 million baht condominium, intending to siphon those funds as well. Fortunately, the mortgage process failed just in time.

 

Upon realising the fraud after confiding in his father, Siwat reached out to banks in a bid to recover his lost money, but his efforts have yet to bear fruit. Recognising the gravity of the situation, Ekkapop is working alongside cybercrime police to track down those responsible. He has called on the government to implement more stringent measures to combat the rising tide of scams.

 

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the increasing sophistication of scams and the urgent need for heightened public awareness and preventive measures. As the story continues to unfold, it highlights the challenges in protecting against sophisticated fraud in an increasingly digital world.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-05-02

 

 

[hughrection]

Quite simply .............. dumb ass.

 

PHD ............. was it purchased or studied for? Going by this story, maybe the former. 😞

[Lorry]

10 hours ago, hughrection said:

Quite simply .............. dumb ass.

 

PHD ............. was it purchased or studied for? Going by this story, maybe the former. 😞

There was a very informative podcast in the Economist recently, "Scam Inc.",  about the scam factories.

One of the most important lessons: anybody can fall for it, a CEO, an IT specialist, a banker...

A famous case (reported all over the media) was an experienced American banker who got scammed out of 40 million USD.

Industrial scam is like a weapon. And like you have no chance of defense against a gun,  you are defenseless against professional scammers. 

Don't think you are too smart. I know it's hard to acknowledge,  but you are not.