Police say woman backed by Chinese financier recruited people to register limited partnerships
A woman accused of acting as an agent for a major corporate mule-account network, backed by a Chinese financier, has been arrested in Bangkok. Police say accounts supplied by the network had been linked to more than 27 fraud cases.
Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) searched a house at a luxury housing estate in Phasicharoen district on Wednesday, where they arrested the 31-year-old suspect who was wanted on a warrant issued by the Chanthaburi Provincial Court on Aug 13.
The woman, identified only as Ranwarat, or Pim, faces charges of fraud, entering false computer data into a computer system, and opening or allowing another person to use bank accounts.
The arrest followed complaint filed in August by a solar-panel business owner in Chanthaburi who was contacted by a prospective customer via the shop’s Line account seeking to buy a large quantity of solar-powered lamps worth 395,000 baht.
After establishing contact, the customer reportedly persuaded the victim to help purchase concertina razor wire worth 700,000 baht, claiming it was to be delivered to a military camp in Chon Buri.
The victim, believing the story, transferred the money to a bank account bearing the name of a limited partnership, thinking it belonged to a legitimate business.
However, the customer could not be contacted after the transfer, prompting the victim to realise that he had been scammed and file a police complaint.
During preliminary questioning, the suspect told police that financial trouble led her to look for ways to solve her problems. She started out by registering a limited partnership, with herself as its director, despite the entity having no genuine business operations.
She then opened a bank account in the partnership’s name and sold it through Facebook groups advertising the purchase of bank accounts, earning 80,000 baht.
An examination of evidence found on her seized mobile phone showed that she had also worked as a broker arranging for other such corporate mule accounts to be set up.
After realising such accounts could generate relatively high returns, she began advertising on Facebook for people willing to open limited-partnership accounts.
Investigators said checks on bank accounts she had previously sold revealed links to fraud cases reported by victims nationwide, with more than 27 cases involving various schemes, including being duped into performing activities and investing money. Investigators believe there are many more victims who had yet to file complaints.
The suspect also told the officers that during the Songkran period this tear she had contacted a Chinese financier known as “Ah Yao” via Line and Telegram. He allegedly offered her money to recruit people to open ready-to-use limited-partnership mule accounts.
He said he would provide mobile phones and SIM cards sourced from the black market for her to use in recruiting account holders. In return, she was reportedly paid between 80,000 and 150,000 baht per account, depending on how ready it was for use.
The suspect said she earned about 100,000 baht a month during the four to five months she worked with the Chinese national.
Investigators are now expanding the probe to arrest the Chinese financier and bring all those involved to justice.
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