Press Release: Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau's Update on Charlotte Austin Scam Case
Law enforcement agencies apprehended four suspects in a significant fraud case, where actress Charlotte Austin was allegedly targeted.
In a fiery press conference on June 5, the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) shared revelations about the intricate con that targeted renowned actress, Charlotte Austin.
CCIB chief, Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan, revealed that crafty con artists, pretending to be law enforcement officials, hoodwinked the actress into transferring 4 million baht, by threatening her with false claims of involvement in a illicit money laundering scheme. This heinous deception occurred on December 8, 2024.
Following a relentless investigation, four shady characters were apprehended, while one fundamental player, a Cambodian cryptocurrency account holder, still remains hiding in the shadows. The authorities have issued a warrant for their arrest and are continuing to hunt them down abroad. Charges against the culprits include fraud, data tampering, money laundering, and transnational organized crime conspiracies.
Trairong shared that the Criminal Court handed down sentences to the convicts on May 29, as follows:
- Suspect 1 (Ms. P, age: 40): A fateful 6-year, 150-month sentence for opening a bank account and providing information to the other suspects.
- Suspect 2 (Mr. A, age: 43): Astringent 7-year, 150-month punishment for collecting bank account data and forwarding them to Suspect 4's crew.
- Suspect 3 (Mrs. C, age: 51): Identical 7-year, 150-month sentence for assuming the same role as Suspect 2.
- Suspect 4 (Mr. T, age: 28): Harsh 6-year, 146-month sentence for impersonating a police officer in video chats with the victim and coercing her to transfer funds to Suspect 1's account.
The court also demanded the four offenders to collectively repay the stolen 4 million baht and pay an annual 5% interest, beginning December 8, 2024. The crooks have forty days to contest their verdict.
Trairong further added that the CCIB and the Office of the Attorney General are jointly working to seize the virtual assets (cryptocurrencies) possessed by the elusive Cambodian suspect via Binance, the service provider. This collaboration will enable the recovery of the seized digital assets and the compensation of victims from the scam.
Aside from the "Charlotte Austin" scam, recent news headlines include:
- Tourism and Sports Ministry refutes claims of Taiwanese tourist scam
- Vietnamese femme fatale wanted by Interpol for a humongous cryptocurrency scam apprehended in Bangkok
- Three Thai bank officials detained for abetting a Chinese call-center scam syndicate
Tags:
- Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau
- Charlotte Austin
- Swindlers
- Cambodia
- Celebrity
- Current Affairs
- The CCIB revealed that cybercriminals posing as law enforcement officials tricked actress Charlotte Austin into transferring 4 million baht by falsely accusing her of money laundering.
- Four individuals have been arrested in connection with the Charlotte Austin scam, while a fifth, a Cambodian cryptocurrency account holder, remains at large.
- The Criminal Court sentenced the four apprehended suspects on May 29; they are required to repay the stolen money and pay annual interest starting December 8, 2024.
- The CCIB and Office of the Attorney General are working together to seize the digital assets of the elusive Cambodian suspect, with the aim of compensating victims of the scam.
- Meanwhile, the Tourism and Sports Ministry has denied allegations of a Taiwanese tourist scam, Vietnamese authorities have apprehended a femme fatale wanted for a massive cryptocurrency scam, and three Thai bank officials have been detained for aiding a Chinese call-center scam syndicate.
- The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau continues to address incidents such as these, as well as general cybercrime cases, in the ever-evolving landscape of data-and-cloud-computing and cybersecurity.
