Thai Facebook Scam Suspect Arrested

[george]

Thai Facebook Scam Suspect Arrested

A hard up University computer science graduate set up a fake Facebook account using a celebrity’s name and defrauded many victims of several hundred thousand baht.

Bangkok, the 4th of December 2010 [PDN]: At 10.00 pm on Saturday, Police Colonel Wattana Yee Jin and his team announced the arrest of Miss Sukanya Saichompoo, [23], on charges of ID theft and fraud.

Miss Sukanya, a computer science graduate, confessed that she had been looking for a job for quite sometime after graduating in 2008, but without success. She then accessed the Chulalongkorn University website and searched for the data of a celebrity or popular student in order to set up a Facebook account using their name.

Miss Sukanya chose the name of Miss Pattarin [bell] Lapkittikul, [22] a Drum Major of Chulalongkorn University because she was very popular and pretty. By using Miss Pattarin’s photos and profile, Miss Sukanya made a lot of friends through Facebook and asked them for financial help in return for Blackberry phones. She said friends had transferred money to her, with the amounts varying between 30,000 and 130,000 baht, but she never sent the phones. Her victims included some well known Thai artists.

The police managed to arrest the suspect at the Thai-Lao Bridge border, in Nongkai based on warrant no. 1097/2553, issued by North Bangkok, on the 17th June 2010.

Full story, pics: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/12/05/thai-facebook-scam-suspect-arrested/

[animatic]

Foolish and desperate girl.

It also is telling to the quality of those computer courses.

She graduates, but isn't qualified even for and entry level position locally.

[moetownblues]

A computer science graduate who didn't know how to cover her tracks.. Must have missed that lecture.

[DangerfieldLives]

That is a classic "point at the perp" picture.

[SweeneyAgonistes]

It's not a bad example but it would have been better if they'd all covered their faces with their hands first. I love those ones.

On a side note - what kind of god-awful publication is Pattaya Daily News? Unless there's something strangely wrong with my computer, that page won't render in Firefox, Chrome or Safari.

[powderpuff]

Scandal rag basically.

[Tommy2cents]

Wise and industrious girl.

Obvious the computer courses are of a high standard (hacking into the universities records is no small feat)

Such a shame a qualified graduate cannot even find an entry level job these days.

[JUDAS]

Wise and industrious girl.

Obvious the computer courses are of a high standard (hacking into the universities records is no small feat)

Such a shame a qualified graduate cannot even find an entry level job these days.

I see no mention of her hacking any site, merely accessing.

[kmj]

Wise and industrious girl.

Obvious the computer courses are of a high standard (hacking into the universities records is no small feat)

Such a shame a qualified graduate cannot even find an entry level job these days.

Please... university professors and lecturers are known to be the worst for writing network passwords underneath their desk draws...

[scorecard]

Wise and industrious girl.

Obvious the computer courses are of a high standard (hacking into the universities records is no small feat)

Such a shame a qualified graduate cannot even find an entry level job these days.

Please... university professors and lecturers are known to be the worst for writing network passwords underneath their desk draws...

Like many work sites all over the world, nobody very serious about protecting passwords etc. "I forgot my password. "Never mind use mine."

[rakman]

It's not a bad example but it would have been better if they'd all covered their faces with their hands first. I love those ones.

On a side note - what kind of god-awful publication is Pattaya Daily News? Unless there's something strangely wrong with my computer, that page won't render in Firefox, Chrome or Safari.

A very funny picture.. Who says criminals are smart? Which goes in line with "I graduated Uni and can't get a job".

The page does render on my Mac with Safari, doesn't work with Firefox. I suspect their webmasters only write web page code for IE and certain variants. There is an extension for Firefox to render pages as IE, but I can only use the IE lite plugin which doesn't do it.

[scorecard]

Foolish and desperate girl.

It also is telling to the quality of those computer courses.

She graduates, but isn't qualified even for and entry level position locally.

Also a reminder of the dangers of social networking sites.

[scorecard]

In fact there are lots of jobs available for compter graduates.

Maybe there's another reason why she hasn't found a job.

I've interviewed / employed lots of people over many decades, in many countries. At some interviews you quickly note an attitude or other factors that rings warning bells.

Maybe?

[Buchholz]

That is a classic "point at the perp" picture.

LOL.... I'd say that's unusually excessive. 5 pointing at 1 is out of the ordinary.... and funny.

[Buchholz]

Foolish and desperate girl.

It also is telling to the quality of those computer courses.

She graduates, but isn't qualified even for and entry level position locally.

Also a reminder of the dangers of social networking sites.

and the naivety of some that would send 130,000 baht based on nothing more than a facebook plea.

[Piengrudee]

She need to watch "Die Hard 4" to learn a little more about computer crime.

[animatic]

In fact there are lots of jobs available for computer graduates.

Maybe there's another reason why she hasn't found a job.

I've interviewed / employed lots of people over many decades, in many countries. At some interviews you quickly note an attitude or other factors that rings warning bells.

Maybe?

I was also thinking similarly.

Maybe they read her as untrustworthy early on?

[asiawatcher]

In fact there are lots of jobs available for compter graduates.

Maybe there's another reason why she hasn't found a job.

I've interviewed / employed lots of people over many decades, in many countries. At some interviews you quickly note an attitude or other factors that rings warning bells.

Maybe?

Yes most likely she was simply lazy as computer grads can get work anywhere and even self employed via the net on hourly rates so there must be more to this than we read. Seems to me she was simply bent and finding the easy way out.

[pisico]

It's not a bad example but it would have been better if they'd all covered their faces with their hands first. I love those ones.

On a side note - what kind of god-awful publication is Pattaya Daily News? Unless there's something strangely wrong with my computer, that page won't render in Firefox, Chrome or Safari.

Do not bother. The news clip is short and not much info is given other than what you already know. Except for the picture she posted in Facebook for the scam. Batman's Joker never looked so good.

[phaethon]

I'm no expert in police procedures, but haven't they got that line-up the wrong way around

And what's the woman in orange doing to the cop's trousers? IMWTK!

[Immigrant]

On a side note - what kind of god-awful publication is Pattaya Daily News? Unless there's something strangely wrong with my computer, that page won't render in Firefox, Chrome or Safari.

site works in Chrome and Firefox , dont know about Safari,

[MAJIC]

Somehow or other any crime connected with Computers seems to be considered smart, and a clever act,when in fact its just as criminal as this degree student has committed,those unfamiliar with computer knowledge are of the opinion that,these people have awesome brains,when its merely another learning process.

Anoraks who are ruining peoples businesses and lives are criminals and not as clever as they would like to believe,so..... they can write a Virus,Hack into Private Information,bring a system down,and cause people a lot of problems,well do they expect to get a Nobel Prize for their Computer efforts?only malicious spiteful people,and social misfits,would do this.

Who should IMO be locked up for a good long stretch,without access to a Computer.

In this case its just another online fraud,a jail sentence would IMO be appropiate,along with the other online scamming thieves! and Purveyors of Poisoned Programming.

Just because a job is not available,doesn't give one the right to steal.

Clever? I dont think so!

[cup-O-coffee]

It is probably better that she got caught by the police first; before some of the people she stole from got wind of her charade, and did a little apprehending of their own; especially being a Thai woman, and stealing from rich Thai men.

[w11guy]

Foolish and desperate girl.

It also is telling to the quality of those computer courses.

She graduates, but isn't qualified even for and entry level position locally.

How do you know she isn't qualified? Just because she can't get a job doesn't mean she isn't qualified. Many firms won't even consider a qualified person for an entry level position.

[animatic]

Foolish and desperate girl.

It also is telling to the quality of those computer courses.

She graduates, but isn't qualified even for and entry level position locally.

How do you know she isn't qualified? Just because she can't get a job doesn't mean she isn't qualified. Many firms won't even consider a qualified person for an entry level position.

Computer companies are looking all over for competent programmers.

[Chunky1]

They should let her work it off.

[Chicog]

On a side note - what kind of god-awful publication is Pattaya Daily News? Unless there's something strangely wrong with my computer, that page won't render in Firefox, Chrome or Safari.

site works in Chrome and Firefox , dont know about Safari,

Doesn't work on my Firefox, although I do have a fair few addons. Probably just lazy bastard developers, only interested in IE.

Try emailing them at:

webmaster@pattayadailynews.com

[TAWP]

Many companies are looking for talented programmers, including junior developers.

And the site does not work in Firefox for me. Most likely some anti-ad plugin conflicting with the site...

[Buchholz]

And the site does not work in Firefox for me. Most likely some anti-ad plugin conflicting with the site...

Exactly, they require disabling ad blockers to read their news.

[cxxis]

The only thing she did wrong compared to all her girlfriends is she got the money from people inside Thailand (o: