Thai retiree loses $880,000 in ruthless scam: Scammer poses as cop and doctor, arrested in sting

UTHAI THANI, THAILAND: What began as a routine phone call for 70-year-old Kanjana turned into a nightmare that cost her nearly everything she had. The retired teacher from Uthai Thani was tricked out of more than 22 million baht (S$881,980) by a scammer pretending to be both a police officer and a medical professional.

Police say the suspect, a Malaysian man named Cherway Lock, spun a web of lies so convincing that even a cautious person could have fallen for it. It started when he contacted Kanjana, posing as a hospital employee from Chiang Mai, and claimed her personal details had been linked to an international money-laundering case.

Frightened and desperate to clear her name, Kanjana was then “introduced” to another man—supposedly a police officer—who persuaded her to continue their conversation on the messaging app LINE. From there, things escalated. The scammers convinced her that to prove her innocence, she needed to transfer money to them for “verification.”

Kanjana had recently sold a piece of land by the Sakae Krang River, leaving her with a significant amount of money in her account—the very funds the scammers set their sights on. Between September 30 and October 27, she made 12 separate transfers, including one worth 17 million baht. On several occasions, the fraudsters even showed up in person to collect bags of cash, taking millions more with each visit.

By the time the truth dawned on her, more than 22.6 million baht was gone. Shocked and heartbroken, Kanjana went to the police. Officers quickly froze the remaining accounts linked to the suspects and set up a sting operation. Their efforts paid off when Cherway Lock returned to her home to collect more money—and was immediately arrested.

Pol. Col. Phakin Wannasri, Superintendent of Mueang Uthai Thani Police Station, said the arrest was just the beginning. They’re still tracking down other members of the network and urging the public to be wary of unsolicited calls claiming to be from officials.