PUBLISHED : 25 Oct 2024 at 12:56
Natthamon “Nutty” Khongchak, a former popular YouTuber who allegedly swindled thousands of followers out of about 2 billion baht through a foreign exchange trading scam, has been arrested in Indonesia along with her mother after two years on the run.
Following their capture in Dumai, a coastal city in Riau province on the island of Sumatra, on Oct 18 by Indonesian police and Interpol, Thai national police chief Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet discussed the case with investigators from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau and the Immigration Bureau on Thursday.
A source reported that Natthamon and her mother, Thaniya Khongchak, are expected to be handed over to Thai authorities on Friday afternoon, with Pol Gen Kitrat leading the team of investigators to return them for trial on fraud charges.
Natthamon, 31, attracted more than 800,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel, “Nutty’s Diary,” where she mostly posted dance videos.
Capitalising on her popularity, she later presented herself as an investment guru, promising high returns to more than 6,000 victims, many of whom later reported they had not received any payouts.
Her private secretary, Nichaphat Rattanukrom, was also wanted on an arrest warrant for public fraud and remains at large.
According to CCIB investigators, the three had fled to Indonesia. Thai authorities then sought cooperation from the Indonesian embassy in Bangkok and Interpol to help arrest them.
The arrests of Natthamon and her mother followed efforts by fraud victims, led by lawyer Phaisal Ruangrit, who filed complaints on Aug 24, 2022.
The lawyer said the former YouTuber had used her popularity to lure victims with the promise of high returns in a short time.
She invited people to deposit money in her account, promising 25% returns for three-month contracts, 30% for six-month contracts and 35% for 12-month contracts. She pledged to pay returns every month.