Elderly victim duped by sophisticated scam
The senior citizen believed she was speaking to a high-ranking police officer over the phone, who instructed her to transfer funds. When officers from the Phra Khanong Police Station arrived to prevent a further 5 million Baht transfer, she refused their help.
Incredibly, she shouted at the police from her garden fence and even called the scammer to complain about the “intrusive officers,” ignoring all warnings from community leaders.
Bank staff act as unsung heroes
The intervention began when vigilant bank employees noticed unusual withdrawals and alerted the Online Crime Operations Centre (AOC 1441) under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. Authorities immediately coordinated with police to intervene.
Investigations revealed the woman had already made five transfers between 3–10 September, totalling 4.95 million Baht:
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3 September: 3.5 million Baht
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4 September: 400,000 Baht
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5 September: 300,000 Baht
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8 September: 300,000 Baht
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10 September: 450,000 Baht
2.5 million Baht saved at the last moment
Police Colonel Phumiyot Lekkla, Deputy Commander of Metropolitan Police Division 5, confirmed: “We managed to freeze 2.5 million Baht before it vanished.” Thanks to the swift action of bank staff and police, the worst was averted.
Remarkably, the senior citizen initially refused to file an official complaint, instead accusing the officers of interfering with her “official dealings” with the supposed police officer.
Ongoing investigation
Authorities are now tracing the accounts involved in the scam to recover the remaining funds. Yet the biggest challenge remains: the elderly victim continues to trust the fraudster over the real investigators, making the recovery and prosecution process extremely difficult.