Cyber police announced the crackdown on an online investment scam targeting a former teacher, involving damages exceeding 4.9 million baht. Authorities froze the suspects' bank accounts and recovered over 1.8 million baht to return to the victims affected by the fraud.
At 13:00 on 9 Nov 2026 GMT+7 at the Technology Crime Suppression Division headquarters (TCSD) in Muang Thong Thani, Pak Kret District, Nonthaburi Province, Police Lieutenant General Thinkorn Rangmat, TCSD Commander, assigned Police Major General Arut Saengchan, Deputy TCSD Commander; Police Major General Niwet Aparwasin, Deputy TCSD Commander; Police Major General Pongpipat Siripornwiwat, Deputy TCSD Commander; Police Colonel Kamphee Promsonti, Deputy Commander of TCSD Region 3; and Police Colonel Tosak Panklinphut, Superintendent of Division 4, TCSD Region 2, to jointly announce the operation to dismantle an online investment scam gang targeting a former teacher involving 4.9 million baht and recovering more than 1.8 million baht for victims.
Deputy TCSD Commander Police Major General Arut Saengchan explained that this operation originated from an incident in early March when a 65-year-old former female teacher from Ubon Ratchathani Province encountered a Facebook page advertising electric massagers. Interested, she sent a chat message to purchase the product. Subsequently, the admin invited her to collect points to receive free gifts. Interested, she joined a LINE group with thousands of members, starting activities by clicking product links to accumulate points.
The admin then encouraged investment by claiming that a 500 baht investment would yield a 15% profit in one day, attracting interest with promises of high returns. The victim tested this by transferring the amount and received 854 baht back, which convinced her that profits were genuine.
Next, someone impersonating an investment instructor brought the victim into a larger LINE investment group, increasing the required transfers from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of baht. After transferring funds, the system showed fake profit balances in the millions. She kept transferring more money but could not withdraw any funds. The perpetrators claimed various conditions such as tax and system fees. Eventually, she realized she was scammed, having transferred 11 times totaling 4,983,968 baht, and reported the crime to cyber police to pursue the culprits.
Police Colonel Prasert Wangboonsang, Superintendent of Division 2, TCSD Region 3, along with Police Lieutenant Colonel Anothai Deying and Police Lieutenant Colonel Winai Chomphut, Deputies of Division 2, TCSD Region 3, and investigators from Division 2, TCSD Region 3, conducted investigations tracing the financial network, linking it to over 48 cases with total damages exceeding 22 million baht. Thirteen individuals involved operated as mule account holders. Evidence was gathered, and the Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Court issued arrest warrants for 12 suspects; one juvenile had already surrendered to police.
Authorities launched raids at five locations across five provinces — Sisaket, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, and Bangkok — to arrest network members. Seven suspects have been apprehended: 1. Thanaporn Maulichat, 19; 2. Nantanat Sa-lee, 53; 3. Natthapon Khumwongsa, 27, who confessed; 4. Pitak Khanbotthammakun, 62; 5. Chuankit Promkhun, 41, a merchant; 6. Jeerasak Odtprapai, 30; and 7. Areeya Sa-ard, 27. Five suspects remain at large. All claimed to have sold bank accounts or were coerced into providing their accounts for misuse.
Initial charges include "jointly defrauding the public and fraudulently or deceitfully introducing false or distorted data into computer systems, wholly or partially, or providing access to electronic accounts or services without intent to use them personally, knowing or reasonably should know these would be used to commit technology-related crimes or other offenses."
Deputy TCSD Commander added that investigators froze suspects' bank accounts and recovered a total of 1,804,294 baht for the victims. On 18 August, cyber police returned an initial cash check of 904,294 baht to some victims. Today, they will deliver the remaining cash check of 900,000 baht to the victims.
Additionally, investigators from Division 4, TCSD Region 2, froze the bank account of another victim scammed through a picture-matching activity to earn commissions, involving 22 transfers totaling 1,109,007 baht. The team arrested four perpetrators and recovered 70,000 baht to return to the victim.