Woman arrested for opening mule account linked to scam targeting beauty queen Charlotte Austin

THAILAND: A 40-year-old woman was arrested in Chaiyaphum province for allegedly opening a mule bank account used by a Cambodian scam gang that defrauded Charlotte Austin, a Thai-British beauty queen, of 4 million baht.

The arrest was confirmed on 16 December by Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phewphan, acting commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB).

The suspect, identified only as Parichat, was apprehended at her residence on Saturday. According to Pol Lt Gen Trairong, she and her husband had been transported illegally to Cambodia from Sa Kaeo province shortly before the scam occurred.

Scam operation details

Bangkok Post reported that Parichat was taken to a building operated by a Chinese-led scam gang in Cambodia. She was paid 3,500 baht to open a bank account for the group, and her facial scan was used during the registration process.

The building, described as a hub for fraudulent operations, housed approximately 20 Thai nationals. It also contained mock offices designed to resemble official Thai government departments, complete with scammers impersonating officials.

The scam targeting Austin involved a call she received on 7 December. The 25-year-old, a former 5th runner-up in the 2022 Miss Grand Thailand pageant, was told by a man claiming to be an official from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) that she was implicated in a money laundering case involving the scandal-hit Stark Corporation.

The impersonator instructed her to transfer funds to “prove her innocence.” Believing the call to be legitimate, Austin transferred a total of 4 million baht in three transactions.

The funds were deposited into Parichat’s account, converted into digital currency, and subsequently transferred to an account linked to a Chinese suspect.

Ongoing investigation

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the scam network. Pol Lt Gen Trairong confirmed that the gang utilised sophisticated methods, including digital currency conversion, to launder the stolen money.

The involvement of Thai nationals and international operatives has prompted deeper scrutiny.

Austin publicly recounted her ordeal during a press conference held last week. She explained how the scammers exploited her fear of legal trouble and her trust in what appeared to be legitimate officials.