Thai Student Rescued From Phone Scam at Kamphaeng Phet Resort
A 19-year-old vocational certificate student was rescued by police in Kamphaeng Phet province on December 16 after falling victim to a sophisticated phone scam that involved impersonation of government officials. The rescue came just hours after another student from the same college lost thousands of baht to a similar scam, highlighting the growing threat of phone fraud targeting young people in Thailand.
Police were alerted after the student’s relatives managed to track his location via a GPS signal to a resort in Mueang district. Investigators were immediately dispatched to the scene, where they found the student alone in a room. He later told officers that scammers posing as officials from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) had instructed him to stay there and cut off contact with others.
Earlier that same day, another student from the college had already been deceived by the same method. That victim transferred 7,384 baht, including funds from his student loan and income earned through freelance work, after being pressured by callers claiming to be DSI officers. Realising he had been scammed, he later filed a police report.
Following the rescue, police escorted both students to the investigation unit at Mueang Kamphaeng Phet Police Station to record formal statements. The first victim, identified as Rainbow, described how the scam unfolded. He said he received a call from an unfamiliar number at around 4.30pm. The caller instructed him to add a LINE account allegedly belonging to the DSI and insisted that further communication take place privately.
Rainbow explained that he was persuaded to book a room at a resort and send proof of payment, after being told the cost would later be reimbursed by authorities. The scammers warned him not to open the door or attempt to leave, threatening him with harm if he disobeyed their instructions. Isolated and frightened, he complied.
The caller then claimed Rainbow was involved in a fabricated legal case, accusing him of being linked to a 50,000-baht mule account offence. He was told the matter would proceed to court unless he cooperated. The scammers instructed him to access his banking applications so his accounts could be “checked” and allegedly told him to consolidate his funds into one account.
Rainbow was then ordered to prepare a transfer of 25,000 baht to an account said to belong to DSI officers. Before any money was transferred, however, his relatives managed to locate him through GPS tracking and contacted the police, who intervened just in time to prevent further losses.
Police stressed that no government agency will ever ask citizens to transfer money for verification or investigation purposes. Authorities urged the public to be cautious of calls claiming to be from officials, especially those demanding secrecy or immediate action. Anyone receiving such calls is advised to hang up immediately and contact the police directly through official channels to verify the information.
The incident serves as a strong reminder of the evolving tactics used by scammers and the importance of awareness, particularly among students and young adults who are often targeted due to limited experience with such schemes.
