A 46-year-old Lamphun woman stands accused of creating a LINE account for a bogus deputy attorney-general and then soliciting a "bribe" from another woman in exchange for helping her son in a drug case.
The suspect had also, a year earlier, allegedly set up a false LINE account claiming to be a senior provincial prosecutor and swindled money from the very same victim in a case involving a non-existent will.
Crime Suppression Division police apprehended Wanwarang Jaithong on an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court on Oct 6 at the Northern Industrial Estate in tambon Ban Klang, Muang district of Lamphun. She is initially charged with putting false information into a computer system, Pol Col Phumin Pumpanmuang, chief of CSD sub-division 5, said on Thursday.
The arrest came after deputy attorney-general Somsuk Meevutthisom filed a complaint with CSD police that someone had used her photo to create a LINE account under the name “Rong Somsuk’’ (rong meaning deputy chief) to cheat Sriphan Baleepat. "Rong Somsuk" claimed that, for a price, she could ensure Ms Sriphan's son did not go to prison on drug charges.
Ms Sriphan transferred 260,000 baht to the bogus deputy attoreney-general. However, her son was still sent to prison, Pol Col Phumin said.
The victim went to the Office of the Attorney-General to ask what happened, and learned the truth - the LINE account was false and she had been swindled.
Last year, Ms Wanwarang, allegedly using the name Chanida “Muay’’ Sae Tang and claiming to be a relative, had contacted Ms Sriphan over the phone and said she wanted to buy her house.
The woman persisted, calling several times.
She later called to tell Ms Sriphan she owned a rice mill, but her assets had been frozen in a rice mortgage case. Pending settlement of the case she had no access to her accounts, she said, and asked Ms Sriphan to lend her money. She said she had no children and would name Ms Sripan her heir in her will.
Ms Sriphan had dutifully transferred money to her on several occasions, said Pol Col Phumin.
Ms Wanwarang later contacted Ms Sriphan and said Ms Muay had died and that as promised she had bequeathed all her assets to her creditor.
Ms Wanwarang then allegedly created a false LINE account, purporting to be Phetchaburi provincial prosecutor Chartchai Chan-on and to be handling the settlement of Ms Muay's estate. The bogus prosecutor asked Ms Sriphan to transfer money to him, with the promise he would accelerate the process, Pol Col Phumin said.
Under police interrogation, Ms Wanwarang allegedly confessed she had created the two false LINE accounts and defrauded the victim. She was held in CSD custody for legal action.
Investigators thought there might be more people involved and were extending their inquiries.