BANGKOK, Thailand – Pol. Lt. Gen. Trirong Phiwphan, Commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, provided an update on the case of an 85-year-old woman who was scammed out of 2 million baht by a call center gang on February 5. The case was transferred from Pak Kret Police Station, where the victim had filed a complaint on February 4, shortly after the incident.
Upon receiving the report, authorities immediately coordinated with banks to track and freeze transactions. Investigators found that the money had been transferred through multiple accounts before reaching a final destination. Fortunately, the cyber police and bank officials were able to freeze most of the funds at the recipient bank. However, a small amount—an estimated 200 baht—had already been deducted as transaction fees. Further legal procedures will be carried out to fully recover the victim’s money.
The investigation is ongoing to identify those responsible, including “money mule” account holders and other accomplices. The scammers falsely claimed to be officials from the Ministry of Finance, a common tactic among fraudsters who impersonate government authorities.
The victim was tricked through a phone call early in the morning when she was just waking up. The scammer claimed that she owned 4 million baht in government savings bonds, which allegedly exceeded the legal limit. The fraudster warned that she needed to transfer money to avoid tax penalties. The victim was then coerced into a video call lasting over an hour, during which the scammer instructed her to download a banking application, access her account, and verify her identity by scanning her face—allowing them to withdraw 2 million baht.
Authorities emphasize the importance of reporting such incidents immediately. If a scam occurs, victims should file a police report as soon as possible so that officers can work with banks to freeze transactions before the money is lost.
The victim’s grandson, 30-year-old Thatphon Thitsathien, stated that as soon as he learned about the incident, he rushed home to take his grandmother to the police station in Pak Kret. He then contacted cyber police for further assistance. The elderly woman had saved the money for her grandchildren and to cover funeral expenses. Initially, she believed she would never get it back, but after hearing that the funds had been frozen in time, she was overjoyed.
