Nigerian romance scammer arrested by Big Joke on four year overstay

Thai Rath’s columnist Pluengpayak reported that Immigration Chief Maj-Gen Surachate Hakparn had arrested another romance scammer from Nigeria.

Evidence of 41 victims were found on the African’s phone along with pictures of young white men, eligible bachelors and handsome soldiers used to make fake profiles on Facebook and Instagram.

The columnist outlined the methods of romance scammers that Surachate – known as Big Joke – has been targeting since his days as assistant chief at the tourist police.

Through online chat the scammers – unashamedly described as blacks by Pluengpayak – chat up Thai women from all walks of life nationwide. The blacks pose as farangs, he said.

Then they purport to have sent gifts through the mail – these get stuck at customs. Thai women who aid the scammers then pose as state officials to request tax payments be sent to release the gifts.

Some victims part with 20,000 to 30,000 baht initially. Others are conned into parting with “late payments” up to 90,000 baht.

The latest arrest was Kerry Samuel Madubuchi, 30, a Nigerian who was living in a rented house in Nonthaburi.

He was found to be on overstay of four years six months and 29 days.

He was nabbed along with the phone evidence and other items such as bank records.

Plueangpayak said that the Maj-Gen had also charged the house owner for not reporting a foreigner at his address.

And he was following up with the owners of the accounts used in the scam.

The columnist said that all this should act as a warning to Thai women not to be taken in.

In the body of his column he said that Thai women “took pity” on the people who scammed them regarding the gifts that were stuck at customs.

The word greed was not mentioned.

Thai Visa /Thai Rath

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