A prominent actress has come forward to share her experience of being scammed out of as much as 1.2 million baht by fraudsters. Best Chanidapa Pongsilpiphapath, the actress in question, visited the Bangkok South Criminal Court today accompanied by her lawyer, Chalermsak Wongmuang, to provide additional testimony in a case where Best is a co-plaintiff alongside the public prosecutor in prosecuting suspects for conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to input false data into a computer system causing damage to the public, and knowingly allowing others to use her bank accounts in connection with cybercrime. Best opened up about the situation.
She recounted how the scam began on a Facebook platform within a marketing influencer page recruiting hotel reviewers. Since she already did reviews, she was interested and reached out. They added her, asked her to join Telegram, and communicated there. She was tested on her reviewing and writing skills, being paid a small amount for her time. She wrote short reviews of about 3-4 lines. After completing the test, they transferred money to her as compensation. After accumulating 100 points, the next day she went to review at an actual hotel. As she reached 50 and then 100 points, they began asking for an initial investment of 400 baht, escalating gradually. After completing five tasks, the following day she got to work and collaborated on the project.
However, on the fifth and final task, she did not get her money back. She was invited into a VIP group where the amounts kept increasing. At that time, she was unaware that there were four fake members acting as decoys. Everyone in the group had to carry out activities involving transferring money and promoting hotels within the Agoda network, then capturing proof of promotion. They promised compensation plus the return of principal. After two attempts, they claimed failure due to her mistakes. The decoys blamed her for causing everyone to lose their money. Feeling guilty, she asked how to fix it. They demanded 250,000 baht, then 490,000 baht more. After sending these, there was another problem due to a late transfer by 3 minutes. They required an additional 600,000 baht. All this happened on the same day: 9 May last year.
From around noon until just before 9 p.m. that day, she kept transferring money. After the last transfer, she initially thought the matter would be resolved and she would get her money back. Instead, they said she had exceeded withdrawal limits and needed to transfer another 500,000 baht to unlock the account. At that point, she realized it would not succeed and stopped. She then decided to freeze her accounts and reported the scam to hotline 1441. Around 11 p.m. that night, she filed a complaint at Thonglor Police Station, totaling 1.2 million baht lost.
In the VIP group, there were four fake members plus her, making five total. She was the only victim. The profiles showed real names and photos, some using nicknames. The decoys messaged her privately, pressuring her as the slowest to transfer money, warning that others would lose their funds and blaming her for errors. This created strong pressure, making her feel responsible for others' losses and rush to transfer money within strict time limits of 15 minutes to an hour. The sums were very large, and she sometimes had to gather money from multiple accounts.
At first, she did not believe she was being scammed because it seemed like a legitimate job. The Facebook page belonged to a real company, and she checked. She asked why payments were transferred to individuals; they said it was to company representatives handling Agoda hotel bookings. She shared promotional posts, sent screenshots as proof, and received payment for the work, viewing it as a genuine arrangement. She wanted to complete the missions by accumulating 100 points.
Initially, she did not pay any money. Instead, they transferred small amounts to her for testing her skills and signing up for Agoda membership, usually small sums in the tens of baht. The Facebook page appeared credible, with blue verification ticks and legitimate company registration details. However, it was impersonated. Best warns others that some companies are impersonated, so if unsure, call the company directly to verify if the recruitment or activity is genuine. If denied, it is a scam. At the time, she did not call but researched online and confirmed the company was real and registered in Phuket.
She was able to capture some evidence, but bank account numbers used by the scammers appeared in the group chat for only five minutes before disappearing, a Telegram feature favored by fraudsters. Initially, she could not believe she was a victim because it all happened so quickly in one day, unlike others who might take weeks or months. Suddenly, her entire account balance vanished. She was shocked and still found it hard to believe when giving statements to police. The money came from her personal accounts used regularly. She felt pressured and confused, and when telling others, they questioned why she transferred money so easily and why she fell for it despite widespread news about scams. Many calls came from call centers, but she was not tricked by phone calls; this scam was purely via chat with no calls or video calls. Since she normally communicates by voice for work, she initially saw the chats as legitimate inquiries.
She cautions that scammers exploit people's desire for extra income and work. Many victims are drawn into selling products via Line or OpenChat groups with upfront fees, only to lose money instead of making sales. Many have contacted her with similar stories, including scams involving clothing or children's products. This reflects a human tendency to respond when contacted about sales or work opportunities, making people vulnerable. She warns to be cautious on current platforms like Facebook, where targeted ads reach specific age and gender groups. She still receives messages daily from victims.
Best views sharing her story with media as a warning to others, helping people become aware and avoid falling victim. She urges everyone to be truly cautious, especially as AI technology advances, enabling scammers to fake video calls and imitate voices. This was her first time being scammed, and she hopes it will be her last. The experience has caused ongoing anxiety; even when new work opportunities arise, she worries and has lost trust. Now, she calls to verify jobs and requires deposits to confirm legitimacy. The scam has deeply affected her confidence and caused significant stress rather than visible tears. She questions how she could have fallen victim despite being informed.
She never expected to be scammed since she viewed the situation as work, not an investment, which created a vulnerability. Best wants to encourage others to share their experiences if victimized, as media coverage may not reach everyone. Sharing helps protect others from similar scams.
She appeals for cooperation in not shaming victims or calling them foolish, despite the prevalence of internet trolls. Victims already suffer greatly and need encouragement and awareness rather than blame. She emphasizes that anyone could be targeted one day and urges everyone to stay vigilant.
She is satisfied that the suspects have confessed, saving time on further evidence gathering. Many have asked if she has recovered her money, especially after news of arrests of mule accounts. She clarifies she has no special privileges and that the legal process has taken over a year. Although the suspects have been caught, she has not received any money back because they lack funds. Her focus is on ensuring all those involved receive legal punishment, including imprisonment. Recovering the money may be difficult, but she wants justice served above all.
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