Post date: Feb 20, 2012 1:40:53 PM
PATTAYA, THAILAND (FEBRUARY 17, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) - Thai police arrested three suspects - from Mozambique, Russia and Nigeria - on Friday (February 17) in Pattaya for allegedly conning a Laos woman out of 21 million baht (681,000 U.S. dollars).
Pattaya police arrest three foreign suspects for alleged cyber fraud, who are believed to have conned a woman out of 21 million baht (681,000 US dollars).
Police said 40-year old Biodun Agbajeola from Nigeria, 42-year old Paul Michael from Mozambique and 24 year-old Julia Maksimova from Russia were taken into custody on Friday.
"They were sent to Pattaya detention centre," said police lieutenant Prasit Munsee.
"They denied all charges and insist to fight in court," he added.
Thai media quoted police as saying the suspects, in an email to the Lao woman, posed as a US Navy admiral due to retire after his posting in Baghdad. The report said there was a promise of marriage after the woman transfers the money to an account which would then apparently unlock the U.S. Navy admiral's account with a balance of 2 million U.S. dollars.
Police said she says she transferred a total of 21 million baht (681,000 U.S. dollars) into the account in instalments.
Thai police said the Laos woman passed on bank and email details to Thai police when she didn't receive the money nor the marriage promised to her, who then tracked the three down in Pattaya.
If convicted, they face 5 years imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 baht (333 US dollars).