PHUKET Immigration police arrested an Indonesian man at a luxury resort under a US arrest warrant and an Interpol Red Notice on charges of defrauding victims via transcontinental cryptocurrency investment schemes, Police News Varieties and TV Channel 7 said today (April 25).
The suspect, Mr. William, 33, who is based in the United Arab Emirates, is believed to be the mastermind of a hybrid scam gang who conned victims overseas through dating apps and social media channels, luring them to invest in fake cryptocurrency schemes that showed false profits.
At 2 a.m. yesterday police moved in to arrest the suspect at this posh resort after intelligence indicated he was staying there and had entered under the visa-free option.
This suspect is accused of participating in the crypto investment fraud scheme between 2022 and 2026, with this involving hiring attractive accomplices to act as models in appearing on video calls to create a more believable “romance scam” than using still images, before persuading victims to invest in fake crypto platforms that showed false profits. There are numerous victims, with damages exceeding US$10 million or 350 million baht in the United States alone.
This type of hybrid scam traps many victims because the perpetrators use a variety of methods to deceive them with Thai police strongly reminding the public not to be deceived and to thoroughly verify information before conducting any financial transactions.
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Top and Front Page – The Indonesian suspect arrested by Thai police. Photo – Police News Varieties
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