A 63-year-old woman, Porntip, was arrested in Bangkok for her involvement in a call centre scam that impersonated police officers from the Surin City Police Station. The scam targeted victims through video calls, convincing them to transfer money for “verification” purposes, resulting in a total loss of over 1 million baht.
Porntip was apprehended yesterday by the Metropolitan Police Bureau, led by senior officers Siam Boonsom, Wasan Thechakarnkasem, Noppasilp Poolsawat, and Teeradej Thammasutee. The arrest took place outside her residence in the Ram Inthra area, based on a warrant issued by the South Bangkok Criminal Court on November 1 for charges of fraud and computer-related crimes.
Further investigation revealed that Porntip had multiple warrants for other offenses, including issuing cheques without sufficient funds and engaging in public fraud and forgery. She had previous charges from Songkhla, Maha Sarakham, and Chiang Mai provincial courts.
The scam began when a victim in Chumphon received a call from someone claiming to be a police officer investigating drug and money laundering activities. The caller provided the victim’s personal details and requested further information, such as their LINE app ID. The victim then received a follow-up video call from an account impersonating the Surin City Police Station, which included a fake arrest warrant and threats to freeze the victim’s bank account. Under pressure, the victim transferred 1,056,000 baht in total to accounts controlled by Porntip.
Realizing the scam after multiple calls, the victim reported the fraud to the Thonglor Police Station. During questioning, Porntip confessed to having been recruited by a person named Kit, who had offered her a job in Cambodia’s Poipet casino, requiring her to open bank accounts for business transactions. Porntip was eventually trafficked into a Chinese-run operation in Cambodia, where she was held captive before being allowed to return to Thailand.
Porntip was arrested while staying with her brother in the Nawamin area of Bangkok. She now faces multiple criminal charges related to her involvement in the scam.