0
BANGKOK: -- An insurance company employee was duped in a cheap iPhone-iPad scam along with 27 other victims, with total damage worth 7 million baht.
Insurance company employee 41-year-old Suthida Tantikul, and 4 of her friends, met with the Crime Suppression Police yesterday to file a complaint against 28-year-old Ladapa or Oy Suksumek.
The victim said a colleague informed her she has a friend who sells iPhones and iPads at a price that is lower than the market value and introduced her to Ladapa, who claims she has a relative who makes procurements for government agencies and can get a 30-40% discount on iPhones and iPads. The victim then ordered 2 iPhones from Ladapa and got them at the discounted price. She then placed orders for several other iPhones and iPads and transferred a total of 1,060,000 baht (US$33,000) to Ladapa. However, this time around she didn't receive the phones but Ladapa told her that there's been a delay so she must wait a while. A few days later, the victim called again but Ladapa had turned off service for the mobile phone number.
The victim said her colleague at work also got duped by Ladapa and a total of 27 victims were discovered with the damage at around 7 million baht (US$230,000). All of the victims were tricked in the same way. Ladapa would claim to some that she's got a relative in the Apple Company who can get iPhones and iPads with an employee discount. Once she delivers a few phones at the discounted price, her clients would trust her more and place additional orders after which she'll just disappear.
-- Tan Network 2012-02-07
