A 70-year-old Thai businesswoman lost ฿11.6 million after a Russian suspect built a fake investment platform that showed fabricated gains, collected cash at her office, and was later traced by cybercrime police to a Bangkok condo, where he was arrested.
A 34-year-old Russian scammer who defrauded a 70-year-old Thai businesswoman was arrested by Thailand’s cybercrime bureau on Tuesday. He had built a fake investment app and interface that lured the woman in. Mirrox instantly showed fabricated gains. She kept investing. Pavel later visited her office in Nakhon Pathom province and walked out with another ฿1.5 million in cash. After pouring in ฿11.6 million, she grew alarmed when withdrawals failed. She then contacted police.
Thai cybercrime police have arrested a 34-year-old Russian man accused of scamming more than ฿11.6 million from a 70-year-old Thai businesswoman. The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau announced the arrest on Tuesday, November 18th. According to officers, the operation followed months of transfers, direct cash collection, and continued contact from the scammer.
Police identified the suspect only as Pavel. They then arrested him at a luxury condominium in Sukhumvit 42 in Bangkok’s Khlong Toei district. Officers seized a mobile phone, four bank books, six ATM cards, and a passport. Pavel denied all accusations during questioning. Furthermore, he responded to investigators through an interpreter.
The case started in mid-August. The victim owned a well-known herbal medicine company. At that time, she received a phone call from a woman who introduced herself as “Patty.” The caller claimed to represent a stock investment firm named MIRROX. She also promised high returns and urged fast registration. The victim agreed to listen. Subsequently, she registered on a platform called “mirrox.”
Fabricated investment balances misled victim as transfers increased and scammer escalated demands
The platform displayed fabricated investment balances. These figures increased in line with the promised percentages. As a result, the victim believed the investment was credible. She then began transferring money as instructed. She transferred funds 23 times.
The transfers went into seven bank accounts. These transfers totalled more than ฿10 million. The instructions arrived through chat messages and phone calls.
Eventually, the scammer escalated the pressure. He encouraged a larger investment and insisted on an in-person meeting. He visited the victim’s company and collected ฿1.5 million in cash. That meeting brought the total loss to ฿11,664,525. Police later confirmed the platform continued to show rising balances even after the cash handover.
Soon, the victim noticed irregularities. She could not withdraw any funds. She also saw inconsistencies in the explanations. Consequently, she filed a complaint with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau. Police reviewed her materials.
Police traced money flow, linked suspect to cash pickup and pursued failed sting before his arrest
They examined screenshots, bank slips and communication logs. They confirmed that the scammer continued contacting her. He demanded further investments and promised higher returns.
Investigators traced the money flow. They identified repeated transfers across multiple accounts. They also linked the in-person cash collector to the same online operator. The communication patterns matched known investment scams. Police said the suspect monitored the victim closely and pushed for further payments.
Investigators then planned a sting operation. They asked the victim to tell the scammer she wished to invest another ฿1 million. She said she needed him to collect the cash directly. A meeting was set at her company in Nakhon Pathom province. Police prepared an arrest team at the site. However, the suspect never appeared. Officers believed he sensed the trap.
Despite the failed sting, investigators continued tracking the suspect. They reviewed digital movements associated with the chats and transfers. They identified the suspect as Pavel. They then confirmed his residence in Bangkok.
Officers raided a Bangkok condo, seized devices and outlined charges of fraud and money laundering
Police sought a search warrant from the Bangkok South Criminal Court. The court approved the request. Officers entered the condominium on November 18. They arrested Pavel without resistance.
Police informed him of the charges through an interpreter. Officers then secured the seized devices for forensic analysis. They will examine message histories and banking activity. They want to determine the full path of the funds. They also aim to identify any accomplices. Investigators said the seized bank books and ATM cards could reveal additional transactions.
Pavel faces multiple charges. These include public fraud, computer-related fraud, habitual fraud, money laundering conspiracy and laundering proceeds gained from criminal activity. Each charge reflects a separate aspect of the alleged conduct.
Public fraud covers inducement. Computer-related fraud covers the deceptive use of digital platforms. Habitual fraud covers repeated offences. The laundering charges address the movement of illicit funds.
Victim’s records helped rebuild timeline as police traced funds and prepared evidence for prosecutors
The victim cooperated fully with investigators. She supplied transfer records, platform screenshots and chat logs. These documents allowed police to reconstruct the timeline. They also revealed the role of the fabricated dashboard in maintaining the scam. The displays showed constant growth. They encouraged repeated transfers.
Police said the scam relied on tight communication, staged returns and steady pressure. The platform simulated legitimate operations.
The caller used a specific identity and a corporate name. The accused then used multiple accounts to distribute incoming funds. Investigators said the in-person cash pickup strengthened the victim’s belief in the scheme.
The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau said the case remains active. Officers are preparing evidence for prosecutors. Investigators are also continuing to trace the funds. At the same time, they will interview witnesses, bank officers and others linked to the accounts. They said the next phase focuses on confirming every transaction and documenting every communication.
Ongoing financial probe expands as officers track accounts and gather digital evidence to finalise case
Authorities stressed that the arrest concluded the operational phase. However, the financial investigation continues. Officers intend to track all accounts used in the transfers.
They will also verify the purpose and timing of each withdrawal. The bureau expects additional evidence from digital forensics on the seized mobile phone.
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Police said the victim’s prompt complaint helped accelerate the investigation. They added that continued contact from the scammer provided useful evidence. Investigators now aim to finalise the case file. They will then forward the completed brief to prosecutors for further action.
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Further reading:
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