Police Raid to Rescue Second-Year Female Student Tricked by Scammers into Online Gambling Case, Losing Over 400,000 Baht - Thairath English
Sakya, Deputy Commander of Metropolitan Police Division 1, led a team to rescue a second-year university student from a renowned university. She was deceived by scammers involved in an online gambling case, who impersonated police officers via video call to demand money transfers, resulting in losses exceeding 400,000 baht following a warning from the PCT Center about suspicious transactions that prompted police intervention.
At 07:00 on 3 Nov 2026 GMT+7, Police Colonel Sakya Saengwan, Deputy Commander of Metropolitan Police Division 1, along with Police Lieutenant Colonel Saran Suradechanon, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation at Din Daeng Police Station, and Police Lieutenant Colonel Thanet Srichampa, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation at Huai Khwang Police Station, led investigators from both stations to assist Ms. Han (a pseudonym), 19, from Buriram Province, a second-year student at a prominent university in Din Daeng. She had been scammed by a network of fraudsters who called to falsely claim her involvement in an online gambling case, then impersonated police officers via video call to coerce her into transferring over 400,000 baht. The scammers attempted to extract more money, but police were able to intervene in time.
This followed investigators receiving a report from the war room of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (PCT) of the Royal Thai Police, Metropolitan Police Division 1, that around 11:00 on 2 Nov, the victim Ms. Han requested 500,000 baht from her father and transferred money to the suspects in three installments of 49,900 baht each, totaling 149,700 baht. She also withdrew 250,000 baht in cash, which was handed to the suspects at a meeting point near a dormitory on Soi Prachasongkhro 27, Ratchadaphisek Subdistrict, Din Daeng District, Bangkok.
Later at 18:00 on the same day, Police Colonel Sakya, Deputy Commander of Metropolitan Police Division 1, along with Din Daeng police investigators, went to check Ms. Han's residence while she was on a continuous video call with the suspects. The victim refused to open the door for officers, so they forced entry. They then spoke with her to make her realize she had been deceived and encouraged her to file a report at Din Daeng Police Station.
Ms. Han explained that the suspects called pretending to be from a mobile network, alleging that her phone number had been used in illegal activities involving sharing promotional clips for online gambling. The scammers suggested she report to police at Muang Phichit Police Station to prove her innocence, then had her add a fake police officer on Line for video calls. They threatened her with accusations of money laundering involving about 500,000 baht and demanded transfers for verification. They also advised her to deceive her parents into sending 500,000 baht, claiming it was a scholarship for studying in South Korea, to serve as a guarantee before transferring the money. After the victim's parents were alerted by the bank about large cash withdrawals and transfers to another account, suspecting a call center scam, they tried to contact their daughter who was talking to the suspects but she did not answer. They then coordinated with police to check on her.
Initially, officers accompanied the victim to file a complaint with investigators. Meanwhile, the suspects are being pursued by investigators from Metropolitan Police Division 1 and Din Daeng Police Station, who are conducting fieldwork to locate and apprehend the individual who collected the cash for legal action.
According to reports, CCTV footage revealed that the suspect who collected the 250,000 baht cash from the victim was a tall man wearing a light blue long-sleeve polo shirt and long slacks. After receiving the cash, he fled in a Bolt car.
