Buriram: A subdistrict chief from Sisaket Province, Ms. Pla, has reported losing 4 million baht after being deceived by a scammer posing as a retired doctor. The scammer, who claimed to be a former physician at a renowned hospital, tricked her into making substantial investments by promising high returns. Ms. Pla financed her car and used land as collateral to gather the funds.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Pla shared her ordeal with the media, presenting chat messages and profile pictures of the alleged scammer, who introduced himself as Dr. Jay. The interaction began on Facebook on November 21, 2014, when Dr. Jay contacted her before moving their conversation to the Line app, where they engaged in video chats. Trusting the scammer, Ms. Pla was convinced to invest through an app, which promised increased returns with larger investments.
Initially, Dr. Jay persuaded Ms. Pla to invest 50,000 baht, which quickly yielded a return of 54,000 baht, prompting her to invest more. Encouraged by the initial success, she invested progressively larger sums, eventually totaling 2,952,452 baht. Despite the app showing a balance of 28 million baht, Ms. Pla was unable to withdraw her funds. When she inquired with the app’s service department, she was informed that additional fees and taxes were required to access her money. Desperate to recover her investment, she transferred an additional 500,000 baht but ultimately found herself defrauded of 4 million baht as Dr. Jay became unreachable.
The authorities have determined that the bank account used for the transactions was a mule account. Investigations into the Line conversations with Dr. Jay are ongoing, and a subpoena has been issued for him to be questioned. Ms. Pla insists that the individual she communicated with was indeed Dr. Jay, as his face was clearly visible during video calls. She has appealed for assistance from relevant agencies to recover her funds, fearing the seizure of her land and car.
Ms. Pla has expressed regret for trusting a person she never met in person and hopes her experience serves as a cautionary tale for others. She warns against trusting strangers too easily, as it may lead to financial losses and jeopardized assets.