MGR Online — Commando officers have arrested a scammer who posed as a helper offering to recover money lost in a mobile phone sales fraud, only to trick the victim into transferring funds repeatedly — 64 times in total — resulting in losses of over 8 million baht.
Today (30 Aug.), Pol. Col. Apichon Khanka, Superintendent of Sub-Division 4, Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD), and Pol. Lt. Col. Paiboon Phimkamnerd, Inspector of Sub-Division 4, ECD, led a team to arrest Ms. Amornrat (surname withheld), 41 years old, under an arrest warrant issued by Chiang Mai Provincial Court, warrant No. Jor. 2237/2025, dated 26 November 2025, on charges of "being an accomplice to fraud by impersonating another person, entering false data into a computer system, and opening or allowing others to use a bank deposit account." The arrest was made at Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station, Chatuchak Sub-district and District, Bangkok.
The case stems from May 2025, when the victim had ordered a mobile phone through Facebook and transferred payment in full, but never received the goods. Subsequently, a suspect added the victim on LINE and offered to help recover the money.
The fraudster then deceived the victim into following various steps, claiming these were processing fees required to retrieve the money, before tricking the victim into transferring funds again and again — 64 times in total — with combined damages exceeding 8 million baht. When the victim eventually realised she had been scammed a second time, she filed a police report. Investigators from the ECD subsequently established that the suspect, Ms. Amornrat, who had been serving as a money mule, had fled and was hiding in Bangkok and was preparing to travel south, leading to her arrest as described.
Upon interrogation, Ms. Amornrat stated that she had previously lent her bank passbook, ATM card, and PIN to a female friend named "Jane" with whom she worked, and had had no contact with her since. She was subsequently taken to be handed over to investigators at Phu Ping Rajanives Police Station for further legal proceedings.
