Chiang Mai woman seeks help after Chinese scammers force access to her bank
Two Chinese nationals and a Thai woman were arrested in Chiang Mai yesterday, April 29, after forcing a housemaid to provide her bank account for a mule account by holding her two children.
Police identified the suspects as 31 year old Chinese nationals Ji and Penhyu, along with Ji’s Thai girlfriend Apinya. The arrests followed a report from the victim, who contacted police after seeking help.
According to investigators, Apinya posted a fake job advertisement on social media offering a high salary for a housemaid. The victim responded to the post and arranged a meeting.
Police said the suspects collected the housemaid and her two children and took them to a house in Mueang district, Chiang Mai, where the mother and children were separated.
The victim told officers she was forced to hand over her bank account details out of concern for her children’s safety. More than 100,000 baht was later transferred into her account.
The suspects then instructed her to transfer the money onward, but the transaction was blocked by the banking application due to the high amount.
She was subsequently taken to a bank to withdraw the funds, where she alerted staff and asked for help. The suspects fled before police arrived, leaving the woman and her children at the scene.
Officers later tracked the group to a residence in the city centre and arrested all three. The suspects were taken to a police station for questioning.
Police said the two Chinese men admitted to the offence, while Apinya denied involvement and said she would contest the case in court.
Further investigation found the group had carried out similar offences twice before. Officers also reported that the suspects were involved in money laundering by purchasing gold using funds obtained from scams. Financial investigations are ongoing to identify additional suspects.
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