A man has been arrested for impersonating an online fortune-teller with supposed psychic abilities, swindling over 100 people out of their money in a scam that lasted two years.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) detained the 37-year-old fraudster, identified as Suwatchai Chiangmai, at the Golden Place convenience store on Ngamwongwan Road in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district on Saturday. He was apprehended under a warrant issued by the Phra Nakhon Nua court for fraud and providing false information in a computer system.
Pol Maj Gen Theeradej Thamsuthee, commander of the MPB investigation division, stated on Sunday that Mr. Suwatchai, a native of Bangkok, operated a Facebook page under the name “Jakree Chaengmai” to scam people, charging fees starting at 199 baht. He claimed to be a fortune-teller who could communicate with heavenly deities.
He would tell his customers they were facing misfortune but could remedy their bad luck, fix their karma, and bring good fortune through a Brahmin ceremony. He asserted that multiple ceremonies were required, each time charging more money. Victims lost amounts ranging from hundreds of baht to six-digit figures, depending on their financial status and belief in his abilities.
Upon his arrest, police discovered Mr. Suwatchai had four additional warrants for fraud from courts in Nakhon Ratchasima, Min Buri, Samut Prakan, and Chiang Mai, issued between September 5, 2022, and January 1, 2024.
Pol Maj Gen Theeradej emphasized that the arrest is part of ongoing efforts to crack down on various cybercrimes that cause widespread distress.
