Woman Arrested for Romance Scam Using Fake Photos

On September 3, Thai police arrested Patchari, 43, at kilometer 18 of Highway 366 in Lopburi province. She faced two warrants from Bangkok South Criminal Court: one for fraud by impersonating another person (issued August 10) and another for uploading electronically altered images of someone else to a computer system (issued August 20).

The case began when a businessman, referred to as "Pao," met a woman named "L" on Line in 2563. The woman used an attractive young woman's photo as her profile picture and gradually built an intimate relationship with him. She later introduced another woman called "O," claiming to be her sister, and asked Pao for help with various matters.

Soon after, "L" began asking Pao for money, citing reasons such as travel costs, accommodation, personal expenses, and inheritance problems. She promised to repay him when she received the inheritance. Over four to five years, trusting their long relationship, Pao continuously helped her and lost more than 7 million baht. He even sold some assets to pay her requests.

In February 2569, while Pao was traveling to Khao Yai, he became suspicious of "L"'s behavior. He secretly recorded their phone conversation and later discovered something crucial: "L"'s voice matched "O"'s voice. He realized both characters might be the same person.

Pao contacted "L" and said he knew the truth, then confronted her about what happened. The woman said she would turn herself in and accept responsibility, but then became unreachable. Pao filed a police complaint, and evidence led to an arrest warrant.

Police learned that Patchari was in Lopburi province and moved to apprehend her. During questioning, she confessed to being the person named in the warrant and stated she had never been prosecuted under these warrants before. She was transferred to Yannawa Police Station for legal proceedings.