A 47-year-old Thai-Hong Kong woman has allegedly lost between 30 and 40 million baht (around S$1.2 million to S$1.6 million) after falling victim to a years-long fortune-telling scam in Thailand.
To make matters worse, she later claimed she was tricked into paying additional money to people she believed were police officers handling her case.
The woman, identified as Phetcharin, has since sought help from a consumer rights foundation after becoming frustrated with the lack of progress in her case.
Affair Concerns Led Her To A Fortune Teller
According to local reports, Phetcharin first approached a female fortune teller after discovering that her husband had allegedly been unfaithful.
The fortune teller reportedly advised her to take part in various spiritual rituals and purchase amulets to improve her situation.
Over more than four years, Phetcharin allegedly handed over millions of baht while following the advice she was given.
She eventually began to suspect she had been deceived and travelled to Thailand to file a police report.
Thai media reported differing figures regarding her losses, estimating the total amount to be between 30 and 40 million baht.
Woman Claims She Was Asked To Pay For Investigation Costs
Phetcharin further alleged that after filing her complaint, she was asked to pay more than 100,000 baht (around S$4,000) for investigation and legal expenses.
Believing the payments were legitimate, she complied.
However, after seeing little progress in the case, she turned to the Saimai Survive foundation, a well-known organisation in Thailand that assists victims seeking justice.
The foundation’s founder said the case should be relatively straightforward because financial transaction records could potentially help trace where the money had gone.
Police Deny Any Officers Were Involved
Police in Bangkok have denied allegations that actual officers were involved in extorting money from the woman.
According to authorities, the individuals who collected money from her were not members of the police force.
Investigators said the woman had met a man known as Lek, who allegedly introduced himself as an investigator from another police station.
Another man, identified as Non, reportedly presented himself as a police captain and offered to assist with her case.
Police said they only became aware of the alleged extortion months later when Phetcharin contacted the station again.
Authorities have not publicly revealed further details about the investigation or the identity of the fortune teller involved.
The case has sparked discussions online about how vulnerable people can become targets for scams during emotionally difficult periods, especially when relationships, finances and promises of spiritual solutions become involved.