A male student clung to his mother after the Anti-Online Scam Center intervened to help, as he had been deceived by a call center gang into a money laundering case, forcibly confined, and involved in a staged scheme to extort over one million baht from his family.
On 13 Jan 2026 GMT+7, the Anti-Online Scam Center (ACSC), under the direction of Police General Thana Chuwong, Deputy Commissioner of Police and Director of the Police Cyber Taskforce, and Police Lieutenant General Jiraphop Phuridet, Assistant Commissioner of Police and Deputy Director, released information about their assistance to the victim. They coordinated with all relevant agencies and arranged for local police to promptly investigate and assist the victim.
In this case, the ACSC War Room staff coordinated with police from Pak Khlong Rangsit Police Station, Pratu Nam Chulalongkorn Police Station, and the Provincial Police Region 1 Investigation Unit to assist the victim, a male student, at an apartment in Mueang District, Pathum Thani Province. The victim's family had reported to police at Suthep Police Station in Buriram Province that their son had been kidnapped by criminals who threatened and forced him to transfer money into his own account. The victim had already transferred over one million baht between 11-12 Jan 2026 GMT+7. Investigations revealed the student was located in Pathum Thani.
After receiving the report, local police inspected the area and identified the apartment where the student was staying. They coordinated with the building management to knock on the door. The victim opened it, appearing frightened. Police quickly showed their identification and comforted him to calm him down.
Upon questioning, it was learned that the perpetrators had called and video-called the victim, impersonating police officers from Mueang Loei Police Station and officials from the Anti-Money Laundering Office. They deceived the victim into believing he was involved in a money laundering case and forced him to transfer money for verification, with the family initially sending 490,000 baht.
The perpetrators then claimed the victim was unsafe and ordered him to move to another apartment or daily hotel. They forced him to stage an assault scene, even instructing him to tie himself up using purchased rope and red dye to simulate blood. They then made him video-call his family, pretending he was kidnapped and demanding an additional ransom of 500,000 baht. Authorities later tracked and rescued him. Afterward, police reunited the victim with his family, who embraced him with relief and thanked the officers for their assistance.
The Anti-Online Scam Center warns parents, children, and youth to remain vigilant against such scams. They advise staying calm and not trusting these schemes. They emphasize that real government officials or police will never call to notify of alleged crimes, nor send arrest warrants or summons online. They do not conduct investigations or detain individuals via video calls, nor will they require money transfers to verify innocence. Especially if ransom demands are made to family members, youth should immediately contact local police or call the hotline 1441.