Bangkok: A retired 65-year-old nurse has lodged a complaint with the Cyber Police after falling victim to a romance scam that resulted in a loss of nearly 12 million baht. The victim, identified as Ms. Or, was reportedly deceived into a romantic relationship and subsequently coerced into investing in a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Ronnarong Kaewpetch, President of the Foundation for the Restoration of Justice in Society, accompanied Ms. Or to file the complaint with the Cyber Police. Pol. Maj. Gen. Sirawat Deepo, Commander of the Technology Crime Investigation Division 1, received the case, which centers around a romance scam that led to significant financial loss for Ms. Or.
Ms. Or recounted the sequence of events, stating that she was first contacted by the scammer, using the pseudonym Ms. Phon, via the TikTok app on December 5, 2024. The scammer initiated a flirtatious conversation, expressing a desire for a life partner, which gradually built Ms. Or’s trust. Two weeks later, Ms. Phon convinced her to invest in cryptocurrency, allegedly in collaboration with her aunt who was described as an investment expert in Singapore. The initial investment of 5,000 baht was made on January 10, 2025, which yielded a profit of 6,200 baht, encouraging further investments.
Over the following months, from February 8, 2015, to April 6, 2015, Ms. Or made a total of 14 transfers amounting to 11,773,600 baht. The scammer often manipulated Ms. Or emotionally, creating conflicts to pressure her into investing more. When Ms. Or attempted to withdraw funds in late April, she was told by the scammer that an additional 5 million baht was required to release a total of 30 million baht, at which point Ms. Or realized she had been scammed.
Despite multiple attempts to speak or meet with Ms. Phon, the scammer avoided direct contact, claiming to be traveling abroad with her aunt. Ms. Or described Ms. Phon as a sweet-talker who frequently professed love and shared images of her daily life, which further encouraged Ms. Or’s trust.
Pol. Lt. Col. Sirawat stated that the scam was indicative of a transnational crime group employing a hybrid scam strategy. The scammers utilized a legitimate crypto platform to initially gain trust before redirecting victims to a fake company platform. The police are investigating the case, which shows promise for follow-up, and they warn the public to be cautious of scams that begin with romantic overtures followed by investment invitations.