Man Arrested at Prison Gates Over Mule Account Scheme

Thai man walks out of prison, gets arrested over mule accountsLegacyA Thai man walked out of a Bangkok prison only to be arrested at the gates over his involvement in a mule account scheme linked to an online romance and investment scam that cost a victim more than 10 million baht. The suspect, identified as 37 year old Winai, was arrested by police commandos at Klong Prem Central Prison at around 8.30am on November 3, shortly after completing a prison sentence in a separate fraud case. Police announced the arrest on November 4, saying Winai was wanted under a warrant issued by the Phra Khanong Criminal Court on March 23 in connection with bank accounts allegedly used to receive money from scam victims. The investigation began after a victim reported losing 10,118,133.51 baht to fraudsters who had approached them through Facebook. According to police, the scammers created a fake social media profile and built a romantic relationship with the victim before encouraging them to invest in an online shop through a fraudulent website called LeLong Shopping. The victim was initially able to withdraw money from the platform, giving the impression that the investment was legitimate. The scammers then persuaded the victim to transfer increasingly large sums. Eventually, the victim could no longer withdraw the money and filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Suppression Division 1. Photo via Amarin TV Investigators traced the transfers and found that a bank account belonging to Winai had allegedly been used to receive money connected to the scheme. Police subsequently discovered that Winai was serving a prison sentence at Klong Prem Central Prison following an earlier public fraud case. After learning that he was due to be released, officers went to the prison entrance and arrested him as he came out. During preliminary questioning, Winai admitted the allegations and told police that he had been unemployed in 2024 when a friend offered him 5,000 baht for each bank account he opened for someone else. He said he travelled with his girlfriend and a friend, first opening an account in Pathum Thani before crossing illegally into Poipet, Cambodia, through an unofficial border route. There, they met a group of financiers, and Winai said he opened four accounts using facial recognition. Winai said he received 20,000 baht in total and spent around 10 days staying in a casino building before returning to Thailand. He claimed he believed the accounts would be used for online gambling operations and did not realise they would be connected to scams targeting other people. Investigators said they were not convinced by that explanation, pointing to his journey across the border to open multiple accounts and his previous involvement in a fraud case. The arrest warrant covers allegations involving the opening or allowing others to use bank accounts for criminal purposes, as well as supporting public fraud involving impersonation and the use of false or misleading computer information. Police transferred Winai to investigators at Cyber Crime Suppression Division 1 for further proceedings and are continuing to investigate others believed to be involved in the network. In similar news

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