Trat: A cunning scammer impersonated a soldier and tricked people into ordering boxed meals to feed soldiers on the border. The incident occurred in Trat province, affecting two food service businesses. The victims were scammed by individuals posing as soldiers who ordered boxed meals to be served to soldiers on the border.
According to Thai News Agency, the first restaurant affected was Krua Lung Tee Seafood in Ao Yai Subdistrict. The owner presented evidence of a chat conversation on their mobile phone. On July 5th, an individual claiming to be from the 6th Infantry Battalion's logistics unit placed an order for 200 sets of boxed meals with water, each priced at 100 baht, totaling 20,000 baht. The meals were intended for delivery the following day to soldiers along the border. The scammer also instructed the restaurant to order 200 cans of ready-to-eat beef for an additional 50,000 baht, providing a LINE account for a supposed canned food supplier, who turned out to be another scammer. A fake transfer slip for 70,000 baht was sent to the restaurant, purportedly covering both the meals and canned food. However, upon verifying with the bank, the slip was found to be counterfeit. Fortunately, no deposit was made for the canned beef. A further inquiry with the military unit confirmed no order had been placed, exposing the scam. Wh en contacted, the scammer threatened not to pay for the meals unless the canned food money was transferred, and then suggested donating the meals locally before disconnecting the call. Consequently, the restaurant donated 100 meal sets to a hospital and another 100 sets to military personnel serving along the border. This incident has prompted the restaurant to require deposits before accepting large orders in the future.
Moreover, Cherry Ann Seafood restaurant in Huai Nam Khao subdistrict narrowly avoided falling victim to a similar scam. Scammers, again posing as soldiers, ordered 30 lunch boxes priced at 100 baht each for troops undergoing off-site training. After agreeing on the price, the restaurant prepared a quotation that included 30 snack boxes at 25 baht each. However, before commencing preparation, they noticed warnings from other restaurants about similar scams involving soldier impersonators. Growing suspicious, they halted the order, incurring minor losses for snacks and some ingredients. Cherry Ann Seafood has reported the incident to the police and is advising other businesses and the public to verify orders with relevant agencies and request a deposit to avoid falling victim to such scams.