Cyber police arrested a scam gang member who used a profile picture of an attractive young woman to trick victims into transferring money for cryptocurrency investments, promising high returns. The total damage exceeded 2 million baht. Tags: [cybercrime, scam, cryptocurrency, fraud, police arrest]
On 14 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Pol. Lt. Gen. Surapol Prembut, Commander of the Cyber Crime Division, along with Pol. Lt. Gen. Naradet Thiprak, Commander attached to the Royal Thai Police, and Pol. Maj. Gen. Siriwat Deepor, Commander of Cyber Crime Division 1, ordered Pol. Col. Kritin Tapsilo, Chief of Intelligence and Special Tools Unit, Cyber Crime Division 1, and Pol. Lt. Santi Chuenchom, Investigator of the same unit, to lead a team with an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court No. 5432/2567 dated 11 Nov 2024 to arrest Mr. Thanathep Netsawang, 23, from Suphanburi province.
He was charged with “conspiracy to commit fraud by impersonation,” “conspiracy to fraudulently or deceitfully input false computer data or computer programs that could cause damage to any person,” and “allowing others to use his bank account, electronic cards, or electronic money accounts without intention for personal or related business use, or knowingly allowing others to use his mobile phone number for criminal activities related to technology or other offenses.”
In early March 2023, an elderly male victim was contacted on Facebook by a scam gang using a profile picture of an attractive young woman claiming the nickname "Nam." They sent a friend request and, after establishing trust, switched communication to the LINE application.
The scammer then persuaded the victim to invest in cryptocurrency, promising high returns. They sent a link to a platform called “Boldhong bcbi live,” guiding the victim on how to register and transfer money. The scammer also pretended to invest alongside the victim by sending fake transfer slips to build credibility.
Initially, the victim saw profits displayed on the website and was able to withdraw money, which increased trust and led to multiple additional investments. However, when the investment amount grew, withdrawals were blocked. The scammer gave various excuses. When the victim became suspicious and requested a video call, the scammer briefly video-called for only 15–20 seconds and made several phone calls to pressure the victim into investing more, but the victim refused.
The scammer then devised a new scheme using another Facebook account with a profile picture of a different attractive woman claiming to be "Nam’s" older sister. After gaining the victim’s trust, this new contact claimed she could help recover the victim’s previous investments. The victim was deceived again into investing through the same platform but with a different bank account. Initially, withdrawals of profits were possible, but eventually, excuses resumed and withdrawals stopped. The victim realized it was a scam after transferring money 12 times totaling 2,129,555 baht, recovering only 118,950 baht at first, then reported to cyber police to press charges.
Subsequently, the investigation unit of Cyber Crime Division 1 traced Mr. Thanathep as a key member responsible for opening mule bank accounts for money transfers. After the court approved the arrest warrant, he was apprehended near Si Thetsaban Market in Tha Phi Liang Subdistrict, Mueang District, Suphanburi Province. He confessed initially. Further checks revealed he had another arrest warrant from Chumphon Provincial Court No. J.154/2567 dated 29 Mar 2024 for a similar offense. He was taken into custody for legal proceedings.