Thai YouTuber Natthamon Khongchak arrested in Indonesia for alleged $59M scam

Thai YouTuber Natthamon Khongchak. Photo from Natthamon's Instagram

According to the Bangkok Post, the 32-year-old influencer, also known as "Nutty" on social media, and her mother were apprehended on Oct. 18 on the island of Sumatra for illegal entry. The Daily Mail reports that local police became suspicious of Natthamon’s accent and discovered she could not sing the national anthem, which led to her arrest.

Upon arrival in Bangkok, Natthamon and her mother were remanded in custody, accompanied by Pol Lt Gen Thawatchai Piyaneelabut, assistant national police chief, and Pol Capt Wissanu Chimtrakul, deputy director-general of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

Piyaneelabut confirmed Natthamon’s detention for financial fraud involving stock trading.

"She is currently under investigation and will be sent to the DSI for legal action," he stated.

Natthamon fled Thailand in 2022 with her mother and assistant after her massive investment scheme collapsed, leaving over 6,000 alleged victims in financial ruin. Previously posing as a successful foreign exchange trader, she frequently shared trading tips with her 800,000 YouTube subscribers and flaunted a luxurious lifestyle on Instagram.

Her social media posts showcased tropical vacations, designer bags, and luxury cars, creating an image of success that allegedly attracted thousands of followers to invest in her scheme, which promised high returns. She offered returns of 25% for three-month contracts, 30% for six-month contracts, and 35% for 12-month contracts, pledging monthly payouts.

However, complaints started pouring in around April 2022, with investors claiming they hadn’t received the promised returns. In May, Natthamon admitted in an Instagram post to making a trading error that led to the loss of invested funds. She promised to repay her followers but cautioned that imprisonment would hinder her from doing so.

Lawyers representing the victims have lodged multiple complaints against Natthamon, alleging that she leveraged her popularity to lure followers into investing. Phaisal Ruangri, a lawyer advocating for the fraud victims, disclosed that one investor had deposited as much as 423,000 pounds with the YouTuber, receiving no returns.

"The investors trusted her because she was a popular YouTube star with almost a million subscribers," Ruangri said. "She used her popularity to trick her followers. Her fans believed she was a successful businesswoman."

Despite reports of her arrest, Natthamon claimed in a local media interview that she had voluntarily surrendered to authorities.

"It was not my intention to run away," she said. "'I never thought of that. I surrendered to the police. I want to apologise to everyone for what I have done. I want to apologize for bringing shame on the country."