Scammer Pretends to Be Elderly Man’s Daughter to Extort Money
A scammer posing as Uncle Yothin’s daughter contacted him via phone, crying and asking for money, prompting the elderly man to break down in tears. The Fa Foundation uncovered the fraud by questioning the caller about family details, and later challenged her to take a DNA test. Authorities have identified the phone number as a scam line, easing Uncle Yothin’s distress over false rumors about his marital status.
Uncle Yothin, a 73‑year‑old former actor who played monk roles, has been living homeless and jobless, wandering on foot looking for work. He eventually went to the police station to ask for a security‑guard job just to earn enough to eat. Dr. Pornthipa Suphromsitti, director of the Fa Foundation, took him in and arranged shelter.
Later, the Fa Foundation’s Facebook page posted a clip of a phone call from a woman who sobbed and claimed to be Uncle Yothin’s daughter, asking for money for transportation. At first Uncle Yothin believed her and broke down in tears, but the woman’s story fell apart when Dr. Pornthipa questioned her about her parents’ names and her own surname. The woman could not answer correctly, exposing the fraud.
In the video caption the foundation warned: “Uncle Yothin, now that he realizes the caller is not his daughter, life is more dramatic than a drama. Scammers masquerading as his child to get money, even feigning tears nonstop, are preying on the elderly.” The foundation added that Uncle Yothin’s memory is still sharp; when asked why the caller’s surname differed, the scammer claimed his father had changed it, but Uncle Yothin said he had never changed his name, revealing the lie.
The foundation later called the woman back, pointing out inconsistencies in her story—she now said she had a brother and could not reach her mother, who had started a new family. They challenged her to come for a DNA test, offering no help with travel expenses, and asked whether she would dare to show up. They had originally arranged for her to arrive the next morning, but after the foundation said she should book a ticket for today, netizens reacted with disbelief.
The foundation concluded: “It is hard to believe that such people still exist. They hid their identity at first, but as soon as Uncle Yothin gained publicity and knew he had help, they pretended to be his child, while his real daughter stays silent.” They urged the public to help protect Uncle Yothin from further fraud attempts.
Most recently, the Fa page announced that the number used to call Uncle Yothin has been identified as a scam line, and people now understand that the confusion about his many wives is unfounded, relieving his stress.
