AYUTTHAYA - Six men have been arrested and charged with identity theft and stealing nearly 1 million baht via internet banking from an auto accessory trader in Ayutthaya they found on Facebook.
Ekapoj Ratanakorn, 29, Pattanarospong Kansonthi, 33, Surikrai Anumart, 30, Wisarut Suphanak, 18, and Siam Tueangphol, 18, were shown at a media conference at Ayutthaya police headquarters on Thursday.
They together with and a 17-year-old male were arrested in Ratchaburi on Wednesday for the theft of 986,700 baht from internet trader Phansuthee Meeluekij, 28, of Ayutthaya, whose family staged a sitdown protest on the road in front of police headquarters in Bangkok last Friday, demanding restitution.
According to police, the gang members confessed to the crime, and said they had done it before. They chose their victims on Facebook, made contact on the pretence of buying goods to get bank account numbers, ID card numbers, birth dates and mobile phone numbers of the victims.
Then they used the information to forge documents and seek new SIM cards and passwords for internet banking accounts of their victims, and withdrew money. They had stolen about 3 million baht in total from nine victims, police alleged.
Pol Maj Gen Sutthi Phuangphikul, Ayutthaya police chief, said the 17-year-old pretended to be a buyer, contacted the trader via Facebook, obtained the seller's bank account number and ID card copy, then phoned the bank to check on the balance. He then phoned the victim's mobile phone company and asked for a new SIM card, reporting the old one lost and requesting it be cancelled.
Mr Wisarut allegedly forged a copy of the victim's ID card and replaced the picture. Mr Siam then collected the new SIM and gave it to the 17-year-old. The teenager then contacted the bank's call centre to obtain a new password for the internet banking service.
Mr Surikrai opened a bank account to receive money transferred from the victim's account via internet banking. Mr Pattanarospong drove Mr Surikrai in his pickup truck to open the bank account and lent his vehicle to the gang. Mr Ekapong went to ATMs and withdrew the money from the account, which was shared among the gang members.
Pol Maj Gen Sutthi said Mr Phansuthee's bank, Kasikorn, and mobile phone company, TrueMove, had cooperated in the investigation that led to the gang's arrest. Police would also find out how the thieves acquired the victim's 13-digit ID card number, which was not visible in the copy they had been given.
"People, especially online vendors, should conceal private data such as the 13-digit ID card numbers, birth dates, and also on Facebook and software applications," the Ayutthaya police chief said.
Identity theft victim Phansuthee Meeluekij and his family sit in front of the Royal Thai Police Office on Rama I Road in Bangkok last Friday. (Photo by Pawat Laopaisarntaksin)