65-year-old retired nurse loses 12 million baht to romantic scammer via TikTok and Bitkub platform

Summary

A 65-year-old retired nurse lost nearly 12 million baht to a romantic scammer who convinced her to invest in a fake cryptocurrency trading platform. The scammer, using the alias "Porn," first contacted her via TikTok on December 5, 2024, and developed a romantic relationship with her. The scammer persuaded her to invest small amounts through the Thai platform Bitkub, and after initial returns, she made 14 additional investments totaling 11.7 million baht between February 8 and April 6. The scammer pressured her to continue investing, threatening to end the relationship if she did not comply. The victim realized she was scammed in late April when the scammer demanded an additional five million baht before allowing her to withdraw funds. Authorities identified the case as a transnational "hybrid scam," involving both real and fake digital platforms, and are continuing the investigation.