Arrested at Resort: Fake Account Owner Uses Celebrity Name to Trick Influencers and Hotel Reviews

Police arrested Somchai, 29, at a resort in Rayong on February 21st, executing a court warrant for fraud. The suspect used a Facebook account called 'Marketing Influencer' that falsely used celebrity Best Chanidapa's page to recruit fake hotel reviewers. The scam involved inviting victims to Telegram, promising review opportunities with profit sharing. Initially paying small returns, the scheme then pressured victims into 'VIP investment groups', ultimately defrauding them of 1,201,760 baht across 8 transactions. When victims became suspicious and tried to withdraw, they were stonewalled. Somchai claimed he was himself a victim, allegedly forced to open bank accounts after being taken to the border, but was arrested and will be prosecuted.