Photos: Thai woman whose ID card was stolen and allegedly used by a Nigerian scam network, officially cleared

A 25-year-old Thai woman whose ID card was stolen and allegedly used by a “romance scam” network to open bank accounts was officially declared innocent on Monday, February 26.

Piriya Sommul previously had faced charges in eight precincts over the past two years in connection to the illicit use of her identity.

Pol General Thanitsak Theerasawat, a special adviser to the Royal Thai Police Office, announced that Piriya’s name had been cleared at a press conference at police head offices in Bangkok.

Thanitsak said Piriya’s ID card had been stolen on May 8, 2016 while she was on Pattaya City’s Walking Street in Chon Buri province and then used to open five bank accounts, which received Bt2.3 million in transfers from victims who had been duped in deceitful romantic relationships.

Police subsequently issued arrest warrants for four people – Nigerian nationals Simon Eko Ayuk and Rasheed Olalekan Yusuf as well as Thai nationals, Pavena Singhawibul and Jerati Saisin.

The first three suspects have been apprehended and are currently being detained after being linked to a similar case involving the alleged theft and misuse of 24-year-old Nicha Kiatthanapaibul’s Thai ID card, which was also used to open accounts connected to fraud and call-centre scams. Yusuf remains at large.

Tourist Police Division deputy commander Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpan said police would provide remedial measures to Piriya and help clear criminal cases against her as soon as possible.

He said Piriya could decide whether to file a civil complaint against banks involved in the case, adding that financial institutions should increase their security measures when opening bank accounts.

82-year-old grandmother killed herself after falling for scam that took all her life savings

A woman says her 82-year-old grandmother, who lost all of her money to a con artist, was so devastated by the scam that she committed suicide.  

The woman spoke to the U.S. Justice Department on Thursday about the scam that hit her family.  

"It pains me to say this but she took her life because of this incident," said Houston resident Angels Stancik, through tears. "These individuals preyed on her and on her good heart."  Her grandmother was named Marjorie Earl Jones.

"What should have been some of the best years in the last chapter of her life was taken from her. She was robbed in every sense," Stancik said.  Stancik said her grandmother fell prey to a sweepstakes scam. She was told she won money but needed to pay fees and taxes.  

Jones ultimately sent all of her money to scammers and later had to borrow money from family members, took out all of her life insurance and then tragically committed suicide.  She died with $69 in her bank account.  

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and other Justice Department officials listened to Stancik's account. "It happens far too often in this country," Sessions said.  Sessions said more than 200 suspects have been arrested in the past year for elder fraud schemes.  

The FTC on Thursday announced a civil complaint in a sweepstakes scheme that allegedly bilked consumers out of more than $100 million and a tech support scam operating out of India.  "It is a despicable crime these people are doing, they laugh about their ability to defraud people," Sessions said.