Swift Police Action Recovers 198,000 Baht from Online Scam Victim

LAMPHUN — A woman in Lamphun province narrowly escaped losing nearly 200,000 Baht to a sophisticated online refund scam, thanks to the swift action of local police and national cyber task forces. The timely intervention led to the freezing of the stolen funds just before they could be illicitly transferred. The incident unfolded when scammers, posing as representatives of a well-known company, contacted the victim claiming to offer a product refund. They persuaded her to add them on the Line application and subsequently tricked her into transferring money to a CIMB Thai Bank account under the name of Mr. Nirut. Upon realizing she had been deceived, the victim immediately proceeded to the Mae Tha Police Station. While still actively communicating with the fraudsters, the investigator on duty, Police Major Anutr Upayin, advised her to remain calm and continue the conversation to buy crucial time. Simultaneously, Sergeant Major Theeraphong Jansawa contacted the national cybercrime helpline at 1441. This rapid coordination between the local police and national cyber units enabled authorities to freeze the destination bank account before the funds could disappear. Investigators then informed the account holder of the illicit activity. The mule account owner agreed to return the full amount to avoid severe legal repercussions. The bank subsequently issued a cash check for the entire sum, which was sent directly to the Mae Tha Police Station. The relieved victim has since officially received her check for 198,035 Baht. The Mae Tha Police Station has reissued a public warning, urging citizens to be vigilant against online refund offers, particularly those involving fake customer service profiles on social media. They reiterated that in cases of accidental transfers to scammers, immediate reporting to the nearest police station to initiate a bank freeze within 72 hours significantly increases the chances of full fund recovery.