The woman, named by Metro Police only as ‘Ms Wongduean’, 44, was taken into custody in front of a house on Nawamin 70 Rd, Tambon Khlong Kum, in Bueng Kum District, Bangkok, on Sunday (Oct 27),
Police presented a warrant for her arrest for fraud issued by Thung Song Provincial Court last Friday (Oct 25).
According to the IDMB, Wongduean allegedly deceived victims into investing in the light rail project between 2023 and 2024.
She promised high returns, claiming that a B150,000 investment could yield B10mn. Convinced by these claims, one victim transferred funds to Wongduean’s account on 70 occasions, totaling B5.7mn. The victim’s sister also fell for the scheme, making 30 transfers totaling B2mn. In total, the two victims lost over B7.7mn.
When the victims realised they had been defrauded, they filed a police complaint. Investigators uncovered a lengthy criminal history associated with Wongduean, including cases of fraud, forgery, and issuing bad checks dating back to 2013.
This year alone, she was linked to six cases of embezzlement, the IDMB reported.
During her arrest, Wongduean denied any intention to deceive, claiming that the investments would eventually yield returns but required time. However, police have taken her into custody for further legal proceedings at Chawang Police Station.
Pol Maj Gen Thiradech Thamsuthee, Commander of the Crime Suppression Division, warned the public about the dangers of investment fraud, urging individuals to thoroughly research any investment opportunity, particularly those that promise unrealistically high returns.
The successful arrest of Wongduean was led by Pol Maj Gen Thiradech and a team of officers from the Crime Suppression Division, who worked together to bring the suspect into custody, said the IDMB report.
Further investigation into the case is ongoing, the report concluded.