Bang Phli, Samut Prakan, Thailand – A former Thai teacher, Alisa Lamkrathok, and her Chinese partner, Miss Zhou, were arrested on February 19, 2025, for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated romance scam that defrauded victims of nearly 100 million baht.
The arrests followed an extensive investigation by the Metropolitan Police, the Technology Crime Suppression Taskforce (TACTICS), and the Police Cyber Taskforce (PCT). The scam operated by creating fake online profiles to lure victims into believing they had found a romantic partner. Once a relationship was established, the scammers convinced victims to invest in a fake Singaporean TikTok shop.
The victims were initially asked to make small payments, which were repaid to build trust. However, as the “relationship” progressed, larger sums of money were demanded, and once victims tried to withdraw, they were told delays or technical issues were preventing access to their funds. This prompted further payments, often leading to large losses.
The police investigation led to the arrest of Miss Zhou, the alleged mastermind of the operation, and her partner Alisa, who had recently resigned from her teaching job to become the “Boss’s Wife.” Their property in Bang Phli was identified as the hub for money laundering, where illicit gains were converted into Bitcoin using a Thai digital currency exchange.
In addition to Miss Zhou and Alisa, three other suspects – Sukrit Khattiyot, Atittaya Phongsawat, and Suchet Khamkhiao – were arrested for their roles in facilitating the scam. The raid resulted in the seizure of 102 active bank accounts, 70 debit cards, nearly 1,000 SIM cards, mobile phones, and a laptop.
The investigation linked these accounts to 132 cases of online fraud, with total losses exceeding 91 million baht. Miss Zhou partially confessed to managing the scam’s financial operations and converting stolen money into cryptocurrency, which was transferred to another “boss” in a neighboring country.
Alisa, however, denied any involvement and claimed ignorance of the illegal activities. Despite her denial, the evidence strongly implicates both women in the scam operation.
The five arrested individuals face charges of conspiracy to defraud, organized crime, and criminal association. The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are expected as the police continue to trace the criminal network behind this extensive fraud.
