Thai woman arrested for alleged role in $184M Nigerian romance scam

By Phan Anh   February 2, 2025 | 08:17 pm PT
A 52-year-old Thai woman was arrested at Hat Yai Airport in southern Thailand on Saturday for her alleged involvement in a Nigerian romance scam.

The woman, identified as Orathai, is accused of allowing her bank accounts to receive ฿6.3 billion (US$184.47 million) from a scam victim, according to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB).

Orathai was apprehended by the police shortly after arriving on a flight from Malaysia. She faces charges relating to membership of a criminal association, fraud, identity theft and money laundering, as reported by the Bangkok Post.

An arrest warrant was first issued for Orathai in 2020, after which she fled to Malaysia to work, The Nation reported. Authorities received a tip-off that she would be traveling to Thailand to visit her children and moved to arrest her upon her arrival.

Investigators allege that Orathai's bank accounts were used to receive ฿6.3 billion from a former finance manager. That individual was allegedly approached by a member of a Nigerian romance scam gang who posed as a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan. The victim was reportedly tricked into stealing funds from her company and transferring the sum into Orathai’s accounts.

Orathai told officers she met a Nigerian man at a massage parlor in Malaysia in 2017. According to her statement, the man professed his love and persuaded her to open Thai bank accounts under the pretext of starting a company. She said the man had full control over the accounts.

 
 
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