Young woman on verge of transferring B3-million ‘ransom’ from mother to call centre gang
PUBLISHED : 12 Aug 2023 at 17:31
A university student in Lat Krabang district of Bangkok was nearly deceived into transferring 3 million baht from her mother to a scam call centre, becoming the latest victim of a new scam in which fraudsters convince young adults that they have been kidnapped.
Police came to the rescue of the student, using the pseudonym Ae, after she was led to believe that she was wanted by the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) for alleged involvement in the narcotics trade.
The victim recounted to authorities that she had received a phone call on Friday from an individual claiming to be from the office, accusing her of receiving contraband via the mail.
After the caller advised the student to file a complaint to counter the accusation, she was instructed to coordinate with a local police officer to prove her innocence.
Upon contacting the alleged officer, Ae was informed that she was linked to money-laundering operations related to the drug trade and was urged to check into a hotel near her university.
Once in the hotel room, Ae disclosed her family details to the scam call centre. She was then told to contact her mother and falsely claim that she had been kidnapped, and that her captors wanted a ransom of 3 million baht.
The fraudsters even requested access to her social media accounts to maintain correspondence with her mother, posing as kidnappers.
Fortunately, the victim’s father sought help from authorities, who successfully traced Ae to the hotel room.
The initial investigation has led to the identification of the callers in Cambodia.
Police this week issued a warning about this type of scam, in which gangs manipulate students into sending fabricated abduction video clips of themselves. The videos are then used to extort money from their parents. The main targets are university students living alone in apartments, say police.