Pattaya —
A 74-year-old Thai farmer has lost 3.2 million baht, his entire life’s savings, to a call center scam.
The victim, Mr. Thongchai Boonko, filed a complaint at the Nongprue Police Station in Chonburi province on Thursday, June 20th. He reported that he had received a phone call from a man claiming to be a government officer.
The incident occurred on June 12th, 2024. The man pretended to be an officer from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). The caller informed Mr. Thongchai that he was involved in money laundering, which he was not, and demanded that he transfer money to their account for inspection.
The scammer, who used a fake profile picture of a police officer online, threatened Mr. Thongchai on the Line application, stating that if he did not comply with their demand, his bank account would be frozen.
In a state of panic, Mr. Thongchai withdrew his entire life savings worth 3.2 million baht from his bank account and transferred the funds to an account provided by the scammer.
After realizing that he had been scammed, Mr. Thongchai sought help from his family and filed a police report at the Nongprue Police Station. The scammer even attempted to contact him again during the reporting process, ordering him to transfer the remaining funds in his account.
Mr. Thongchai expressed his deep regret for falling victim to the scam, stating that the lost money was the result of his hard work as a farmer for his entire life.
Police are reportedly investigating the situation as of press time.
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