Facebook Fraud In Name Of Chulalongkorn University Faculty Dean

[webfact]

Facebook fraud in name of Chula faculty dean

By Somroutai Sapsomboon

The Nation

A fraud has been committed in the name of the dean of Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the latest online scandal involving the Facebook social-networking website.

An unknown scammer posing as the dean, Assoc Prof Pintip Pongpech, opened a Facebook account around the middle of last year and later requested to become a friend of former and current students of the faculty.

On Sunday, the scammer sent a message to those people telling them that a boy named Wanlop Rakchart was suffering from leukaemia and needed donations to cover the cost of treatment. The number of a Siam Commercial Bank account was also provided for those wanting to transfer money, according to faculty graduate Chonlada Gobhiran, who was one of the "friends" who got the message. "First, the bank name was not in the message for donation, so I asked. The brief reply was: 'SCB'," she said, referring to the abbreviation for Siam Commercial Bank.

According to sources, the impostor mostly did not respond to any messages posted by current and former students in the Facebook account. A check with the bank found that the account actually belongs to a person by that name, but it remained unclear if he had any knowledge of the scam.

The bank account was opened on February 8 and withdrawals were made through automated teller machine, mostly on the same day of money transfers, according to a bank source. Yesterday alone, Bt34,000 had been transferred to the bank account.

A source said the dean had filed a police complaint but it was not confirmed by those directly involved, including the dean who could not be reached for comment. According to the source, the dean became aware of the scam on Tuesday evening when a student asked her about the leukaemia patient and said that more money would be transferred. "Ajahn Pintip knew something was wrong at around 8pm. Later at 10pm, the Facebook account was closed," the source said.

The dean could not be reached for comment on the case. The Nation was informed that she had a lengthy meeting throughout yesterday. However, a source close to her said that she did not want to be interviewed before the scammer is arrested.

A Twitter message from the bank (@scb_thailand) said that the bank account in question has been frozen and that police had been informed about the scam.

-- The Nation 2011-02-17

[philhal2]

This is perhaps the lowest form of life that perpetrates this type of scam .

It reflects the worst possible human traits and it damages many of the better qualities of humans .

[Macmundi]

Scumbags.

[animatic]

Add morons too, because they are BOUND to get caught... Pictures are taken at every ATM... classic not thinking past the moment syndrome. I want, I want, give me now, maybe I take now, I have now, good, good, tomorrow is another day...

[zthyadat]

Add morons too, because they are BOUND to get caught... Pictures are taken at every ATM... classic not thinking past the moment syndrome. I want, I want, give me now, maybe I take now, I have now, good, good, tomorrow is another day...

Not so sure about BOUND to get caught, given that police brains work a similar way.

[khaowong1]

Add morons too, because they are BOUND to get caught... Pictures are taken at every ATM... classic not thinking past the moment syndrome. I want, I want, give me now, maybe I take now, I have now, good, good, tomorrow is another day...

Not so sure about BOUND to get caught, given that police brains work a similar way.

[dai ru55]

LMAO.... so true

Add morons too, because they are BOUND to get caught... Pictures are taken at every ATM... classic not thinking past the moment syndrome. I want, I want, give me now, maybe I take now, I have now, good, good, tomorrow is another day...

Not so sure about BOUND to get caught, given that police brains work a similar way.

[animatic]

LMAO.... so true

Add morons too, because they are BOUND to get caught... Pictures are taken at every ATM... classic not thinking past the moment syndrome. I want, I want, give me now, maybe I take now, I have now, good, good, tomorrow is another day...

Not so sure about BOUND to get caught, given that police brains work a similar way.

Well most of the reported and higher profile frauds of this sort using ATM's do get caught and typically because of the ATM photo ids they seem to be too stupid to not let get taken while they get their cash. This is the dean of a major UNi, they will go after these perps big time. To much pressure from above to do so.

Edited February 17, 2011 by animatic

[Anyse]

I hope that this person is stupid. However, maybe this person wore a mask, covered the face or whatever to hide who they are when they collected those $800 or so. Fortunately, it was caught early enough and not that much money was ripped off. I wonder if the bank can be, somehow, liable as the person's ID was, more than likely, a forgery. This way, those who did contribute should be reimbursed by the bank as a gesture of good will and then the bank can seek fraud on its part as well as whatever internet laws are applicable to this case. This would be, to me, a good ending for all and none would be personally ripped off in this deal. It would also be good public relations of the bank to act in this way.

[Jogden]

This way, those who did contribute should be reimbursed by the bank as a gesture of good will and then the bank can seek fraud on its part as well as whatever internet laws are applicable to this case. This would be, to me, a good ending for all and none would be personally ripped off in this deal. It would also be good public relations of the bank to act in this way.

Nice idea and it would be good publicity for the bank.........See what happens though.

[faranginexile]

This way, those who did contribute should be reimbursed by the bank as a gesture of good will and then the bank can seek fraud on its part as well as whatever internet laws are applicable to this case. This would be, to me, a good ending for all and none would be personally ripped off in this deal. It would also be good public relations of the bank to act in this way.

Nice idea and it would be good publicity for the bank.........See what happens though.

That would indeed be a good outcome. Unfortunately, however, a more likely outcome will be a rash of copycat scams that perfect the technique before the public become aware.