A 19-year-old student in Nakhon Si Thammarat hanged herself after being scammed into making a 20,000-baht online down payment for a non-existent iPhone.

Atiya, 19, a Mathayom 6 student, was found hanging by a rope around her neck, tied to a beam, in her bedroom at the family home on Sunday evening.

Police said stress from being swindled by online scammers drove her to suicide.

Police questioned three close friends of the dead student and her aunt, who lived in the same house. They learned that Atiya had contacted via social media a mobile phone shop which claimed to be in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai, to buy an iPhone 13 via instalments.

The shop said she had to make a down payment before it would send the phone.

The young woman had transferred money into a bank account in the name of Ms Dokkaew Kaewjerm, making four payments for a total of 18,500 baht. Money transfer slips and chat messages between the student and the seller were found on her mobile phone.

But after the deposit was paid she did not get the phone. She had contacted the seller several times, and then asked for the return of her money. The shop later replied, asking for 2,000 baht more as guarantee money for the iPhone. She transferred the extra money.

There was no response after the money had been sent. Atiya learned that she had been swindled.

About 3.15pm on Oct 15, she sent her last message - to one of the two close friends. She said she had been swindled and feared her mother would berate her. When there was no further contact from her, her worried friend contacted Atiya’s family, saying they should enter her bedroom.

The bedroom door was locked and they had to force it open. Once inside, they found she had hanged herself.

Police on Tuesday were hunting for the scammers.