Thai authorities have arrested a 26-year-old Malaysian man in Bangkok for allegedly posing as a government official to swindle an elderly victim out of THB3.3 million (~RM426,000) in a sophisticated phone scam.
The suspect, identified only as Tan, was apprehended at a hotel on Soi Soranakorn 3 in Don Mueang district following a court-issued warrant for fraud and impersonation. Officers from Don Mueang and Thung Khru police stations led the operation.
According to a police spokesperson, investigators confiscated several items believed to be linked to the crime, including clothing worn during the scam, a black backpack, two mobile phones, multiple SIM cards, and three foreign debit cards.
Pretended to be a police officer
The arrest stemmed from a complaint filed by a 70-year-old man who reported receiving a call from someone claiming to be a police officer.
The caller alleged that the victim’s bank account was involved in money laundering activities and instructed him to contact a LINE account under the name “Por Pom,” supposedly an officer from Mueang Khon Kaen Police Station.
The scammer sent forged documents, conducted a video call, and convinced the victim to prepare his assets for inspection. Believing the ruse, the man liquidated his belongings and gathered the cash.
He was then directed to deliver the money to a gas station near a police station in Thung Khru district. There, the Malaysian suspect arrived, claiming to be conducting an official inspection. He assured the victim the money would be returned after verification, but quickly vanished.
Realising he had been duped, the victim filed a police report, which led to the suspect’s arrest.
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