In an alarming turn of events in the province of Nonthaburi, a family tragically succumbed to the wiles of a call center scam, a harrowing experience that saw them stripped of over 300,000 baht. The saga began to unfold on January 10 when a young woman of 21, accompanied by her parents, reported the distressing incident at the Mueang Nonthaburi Police Station. The scammers, masquerading as officers from the police force and the Anti-Money Laundering Organisation (AMLO), ensnared the daughter with a fabricated tale of her involvement in a money laundering case allegedly emanating from Suphan Buri province. The threat? Legal action against her and her family if their demands weren’t met.
It was a Saturday, January 7, with an air of normality in their household when the daughter borrowed her mother’s mobile phone, ostensibly for work. This phone, linked to an iPad which the mother utilized, soon began pinging with bank notifications—three telling transactions, each precisely 49,999 baht. Alarmed, the mother knocked at her daughter’s door, but it remained sealed shut to her inquiries. Eavesdropping, she caught snippets of her daughter’s conversation, the tone of which suggested she was responding to instructions from an unseen interlocutor.
The plot thickened when the daughter, with a cryptic calmness, asked her mother to scan her face for mobile access—an odd request that only served to fan the flames of suspicion. “I will explain everything after midnight,” the daughter assured, promising the return of the siphoned funds. Midnight came and went, and the daughter, with urgency in her voice, requested permission to step out for an errand. Needless to say, at such an hour, her mother declined. Instead, the daughter ensconced herself in her room till morning when the household routine resumed with her parents heading to work, placing the grandmother in charge. Taking advantage of the situation, the daughter slipped away unnoticed, leaving behind only silence. Attempts to reach her were futile until she resurfaced, making an audacious request to sell her grandmother’s gold. Predictably, her mother refused, demanding instead that her daughter come home.
Panic-stricken, the parents scoured for their daughter, finally resorting to police assistance on January 9. Their efforts bore fruit at a grim daily rental room where they discovered her. In a harrowing revelation, the mother recounted how upon her daughter’s disappearance, threatening video clips were dispatched, showcasing potential self-harm and a menacing demand for an additional 100,000 baht. Tragically, by then, the mother’s account had been entirely drained, a staggering loss tallying up to approximately 310,000 baht.
In a tearful admission, the daughter explained her plight; a call from a domineering voice claiming to be an officer investigating illicit assets linked to her name thrust her into a nightmarish ordeal. The scammer, adept at deceit, even arranged a video call dressed in a police uniform, presenting documents bearing the AMLO crest to cement the charade. Succumbing to fear, she followed their dictates, transferring her funds. But it didn’t end there. They coerced her into despairing deeds—extorting more money, isolating from her family, and fabricating self-harm content—all under the pretext of protecting her loved ones from jail.
Whether blinded by naïveté or sheer terror, she chose to trust a stranger cloaked in authority over her kin, an error she acknowledges with palpable remorse. However, familial bonds, strained they might be, exhibited resilience as her mother extended forgiveness, welcoming her back into their fold.
The Mueang Nonthaburi Police Station, in partnership with cyber crime units, is zealously pursuing the malicious call center gang, vowing to bring them to justice, according to sources from KhaoSod.
I can’t believe someone would fall for such an obvious scam! Those scammers must be really convincing.
It’s easy to judge from the outside, but imagine the fear the daughter must have felt. It’s almost like being held hostage over the phone.
I suppose fear can really cloud judgment. But still, transferring that much money without asking anyone first seems reckless.
Don’t underestimate psychological manipulation. They exploit fear and authority, two powerful tools.
Wouldn’t banks have some kind of alert for this type of suspicious activity? Seems like they should be on the hook too.
This is why financial education is so important, especially with digital transactions.
Totally agree! Schools should start teaching this as soon as possible. It’s a necessary life skill.
I think the authorities should bear some responsibility. They’ve failed to keep these scammers from operating.
It’s a cat and mouse game with these scammers though. They are always one step ahead.
True, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t expect them to try harder!
What’s sad is the family dynamics this revealed. Trust should never be so easily broken, even with strangers claiming authority.
Yes, but fear and desperation can override personal trust. It makes the daughter’s experience relatable.
I’m surprised the mother didn’t act when she first suspected something was off. Prevention is better than cure!
Exactly! Listen to those parental instincts!
This shows a dangerous power dynamic between individuals and perceived authority figures manipulated by tech.
I really feel for the family, and what about their financial recovery? Will they get their money back?
Unfortunately, it’s rare to recover lost funds in such scams. It’s a grim reality.
These scams are getting too common! We need stricter regulations and protection procedures.
Technology is expanding faster than our ability to police its misuse. We need global cooperation to tackle this.
This should be a wake-up call for tech companies too. Better security measures are long overdue.
Security is important but user education is key. People need to know how to protect themselves.
Crazy how these scammers can weaponize technology like this. More reason to be cautious on the internet.
It’s terrible. Online safety needs to be drilled into everyone from an early age.
Authorities must be more proactive about getting resources and warnings to potential victims.
I hope this case gets resolved and sets an example. Too many families are suffering.
I’d love to see banks proactively contacting customers when multiple transactions like that happen.
This kind of story makes me want to distrust anyone who calls claiming to be an official.
Education alone won’t stop scams. We need international policing to hunt these scammers down!
It’s heartbreaking. Families need to support each other more in times of crisis.
This just emphasizes how technology is a double-edged sword in today’s world.
I hope the daughter heals from this traumatic experience. It’s a difficult lesson learned.
Hats off to the mother for her forgiving nature. We need more empathy in these situations.