Scammers Pose as Police, Steal 36,000 Baht and Threaten Student’s Family in Bangkok
Scammers Pose as Police, Steal 36,000 Baht and Threaten Student’s Family in Bangkok
BANGKOK, October 19, 2026 — Bangkok police have rescued a university student who was allegedly manipulated by a call-centre scam gang into staging bloody injury photographs and frightening his family into sending up to 300,000 baht.
The student was found safe in a daily rental room in Soi Satsana, Phaya Thai district, on the evening of October 17, 2026, after his parents reported him missing and expressed fears for his safety.
According to police, the gang allegedly orchestrated the scheme after convincing the student that he was implicated in a money-laundering investigation.
Student Tricked Into Transferring 36,000 Baht
Investigators said the scam began on October 16, when callers posing as mobile-phone company employees and police officers told the student that his name was connected to a money-laundering case.
Believing the claims, he transferred 36,000 baht to the callers for what they described as an account inspection.
The gang then allegedly instructed him to change his phone number, cut off contact with other people and move into a daily rental room to conceal his whereabouts.
Police said the scammers also obtained access codes to his personal LINE account and used it to communicate with his family.
After discovering that the student had run out of money, the gang allegedly instructed him to tell his parents that he had won an overseas scholarship and needed between 200,000 and 300,000 baht to proceed.
Gang Allegedly Ordered Student to Stage Bloody Scene
Police said the gang escalated its threats by ordering the student to create blood stains on his body and the room’s wall, take photographs of the staged scene and tie himself to a tree.
The images were allegedly intended to convince his family that he had been seriously harmed and pressure them into transferring additional money.
Investigators from the Metropolitan Police Investigation Division, working with Division 6 investigators and Pathum Wan police, subsequently traced the student to the room in Phaya Thai.
When officers entered, the student was reportedly still on the phone with the scammers, who were directing his actions. The callers allegedly disconnected immediately after realising that police had found him.
Investigation Underway to Identify Suspects
The rescue operation followed instructions from senior police officials, including National Police Chief Pol Gen Samran Nuanma and Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Siam Boonsom.
Police said the investigation would continue to identify and arrest those responsible for the operation.
The case highlights how impersonation scams can escalate beyond financial deception, with criminals allegedly isolating victims, taking control of their communications and using staged scenes of violence to intimidate relatives into paying large sums of money.
