Arrest at Airport: Thai Suspect in Romance Scam Network
A 52-year-old Thai woman, identified as Orathai, was arrested at Hat Yai International Airport upon her return from Malaysia for her alleged involvement in a significant romance scam linked to a Nigerian fraud ring. Authorities have charged her with multiple offenses, including participation in a transnational criminal organization, fraud through identity theft, and money laundering.
In 2017, while working at a massage parlor in Malaysia, Orathai met and formed a relationship with a Nigerian man. He later requested that she open several bank accounts in Thailand, citing his inability to do so as a foreigner. Orathai complied, receiving 6,500 baht per account, and granted him full control over these accounts. Unbeknownst to her, these accounts were utilized to facilitate fraudulent activities.
The scam involved creating a fake LinkedIn profile of a U.S. army doctor stationed in Afghanistan to deceive the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a multinational company’s Thailand branch.
The perpetrators managed to fraudulently transfer approximately 6.3 billion baht (around $186 million) from the company. Following the exposure of the scam, arrest warrants were issued for nearly 100 individuals, including both Thai and Nigerian nationals.
Orathai fled to Malaysia during the initial crackdown but was apprehended upon her return to Thailand. She claimed ignorance of the fraudulent use of the bank accounts she opened, stating that she was unaware they were being used to receive money from scam victims.