Bangkok: A 33-year-old woman appealed to the "Sai Mai Must Survive" Facebook page, claiming she was scammed out of 300,000 baht by a wealthy internet celebrity with a luxurious profile who also tricked her into pawning her luxury car.
According to Thai News Agency, the woman filed a complaint at Sai Mai Tong Ruud, a Thai loan shark organization, stating that she was deceived by the female internet celebrity, whom she met through a family acquaintance. The celebrity borrowed money from her and failed to return it.
The fraudulent scheme began with the internet celebrity and a male bar host claiming they needed the 300,000 baht for their business. They offered a luxury car as collateral and promised timely repayment. However, not only did they default on the loan, but the celebrity and her family also demanded the car back, asserting that it belonged to a high-ranking executive from a large private company. They threatened legal action for receiving stolen goods unless the car was returned, prompting the complainant to reach out to the Sai Mai Facebook page. Feeling pressured, she returned the car without recovering her loaned money.
Inquiries among those close to the internet personality indicated that she had previously engaged in similar fraudulent activities with other individuals. Meanwhile, Saimai Tongrod clarified that while the loan was a civil issue, the threats made constituted a criminal offense. The situation necessitates an investigation into the use of another person's vehicle as collateral to determine if there was intent to defraud.