Supaporn Nipavanich, known as Prosecutor Dao from the Office of Narcotics Case Litigation, filed a complaint yesterday with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) against the scam gang.
According to Supaporn, her mother was contacted online by a man calling himself “Harry,” who claimed to be a Vietnamese businessman living in the UK. The fraudster gained her trust through friendly conversations on WhatsApp and shared stories of business problems and shipping delays to convince her to send money.
Over a period of just four to five days, the elderly victim transferred nearly her entire savings through internet banking. She was later persuaded to withdraw more money from her savings account and deposit it at a bank counter. All the money was funneled through mule accounts.
Supaporn quickly reported the crime to the CCIB. Police filed charges of computer-related fraud and deception. They managed to freeze the scammer’s accounts using the bureau’s online complaint system.
However, difficulties arose during the investigation due to banking procedures. Transactions made at the bank counter did not receive a case ID, which is necessary for tracking cases online through the system www.thaipoliceonline.go.th.
Banks reportedly told police that only online transactions qualify for a case ID. This forced the victim to call different bank branches for information, as the hotline could not help with the issue. This created delays and confusion.
Supaporn called on banks to improve their systems and better protect vulnerable citizens, especially the elderly. She criticized the complicated procedures and the banks’ refusal to issue case IDs, even after police requests.
A CCIB investigator said that without a case ID, cases cannot be processed online and must be handled manually through daily logs and postal communication. The investigator added that the current system needs urgent reform to speed up justice and prevent similar problems in the future.
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Cybercrime in World
