Rayong: Police arrested a young man for opening a fake bank account for scammers to swindle over 1.2 million baht from a famous actress. He claimed he was forced to do it. The Central Investigation Bureau, acting on a warrant from the Bangkok South Criminal Court, arrested Mr. Somchai, 29, on charges of "conspiracy to defraud the public and violating the Computer Crime Act by distorting or falsifying information" in front of his room in Mueang District, Rayong Province.

According to Thai News Agency, on May 9, 2025, scammers posted an advertisement on Facebook that appeared on the feed of actress "Best" (the victim), claiming to be looking for influencers to review hotels. The victim, believing the advertisement was legitimate, applied for the job. The scammers then asked the victim to provide her bank account details during the review process to receive payment. However, they later changed the scenario to having the victim conduct review activities to promote products and increase hotel sales on a popular app, deceiving her into believing she would receive real profits. The victim then transferred money to the scammers for investment purposes, hoping to receive a percentage of the profits from the reviews, on eight separate occasions, resulting in a total loss of 1,201,760 baht.

Afterward, the victim realized they had been scammed and messaged to inquire about canceling the transaction. However, the perpetrator evaded their questions and refused to answer. The victim believes the perpetrator intentionally engaged in conversation to deceive them into believing they were participating in a false "special activity" and then transferred money, causing them financial loss. Therefore, they filed a complaint with the police to prosecute the case according to the law.

The suspect denied all charges, claiming he joined a job search group called "Rayong Jobs" and a woman commented on his post offering to find him work. They then communicated, and the woman allegedly tricked him into going to the border for work. Upon arrival, he was apprehended, forced to open a bank account, had his face scanned, and his account seized. Realizing he had been scammed, he fled back via natural routes.