A complex con involving intimidation and police impersonation scammed a woman associated with a popular Isaan music act into handing over THB2.1 million (US$64,500).
Anongnuch “Sanuch” Namwongsa, whose husband founded mor lam band Little Petch Ban Phaeng, filed a police complaint late last night in the northeastern province of Maha Sarakham to report that she had been defrauded of millions of baht by a call center gang.
“Please return our money,” a tearful Sanuch said in a video posted to the band’s socials. “That was money from all our savings.”
Although Anongnuch faces slim chances of its return, she laid out her story in the hope that the perpetrators are caught, and others don’t fall victim.
She told the police that it began with someone claiming to be a DHL employee in Chiang Mai contacting her by phone.
The caller told her they had linked her to a parcel sent to China containing 14 passports and 10 ATM cards concealed among clothing items and accused her of being involved in money laundering.
The caller urged her to travel to Chiang Mai – a 10- to 11-hour drive – to talk to the police. The person then suggested that Anongnuch contact the police by phone to clear her name and provided a bogus number.
That call went to a man claiming to be Chiang Mai cop, who proceeded to question her about her online activities before accusing her of being in cahoots with a man named Somsak, the purported ringleader of the fictional money laundering scheme.
After sufficiently terrorizing Anongnuch, the police impersonator asked her to transfer money to the anti-money laundering office to speed their investigation and keep it secret. If the process cleared her name, they promised to quickly return the money.
She made six transfers – the bulk of her life savings – adding up to THB2,088,001.
The money was not returned, and Sanuch was soon blocked by the phone number she had contacted.
The police said they are investigating.
Yomanin “Young Joe” Namwongsa, her husband, lamented the impact it would have on his musicians.
“That money would have gone to the land meant for rehearsal space for our singing troupe,” he said. “Our singers would have lived more comfortably with the improved rooms.”
