PATTAYA: Three suspects have been arrested for allegedly using fake Facebook pages to deceive tourists, causing losses of around 700,000 baht in fraudulent hotel bookings, Thai police said on Wednesday (May 21).
The Tourist Police Bureau announced that the three suspects were arrested in three separate raids in Chanthaburi, Bangkok, and Ayutthaya on May 20 under arrest warrants issued by the Pattaya Provincial Court.
They are accused of creating deceptive Facebook pages for popular hotels in Pattaya and luring tourists to transfer money for room reservations.
According to the bureau, the suspects have allegedly cheated tourists out of at least 700,000 baht, based on transaction records linked to their bank accounts.
The suspects reportedly used similar tactics by offering cheap room rates at promotional prices and urging tourists to pay a small deposit initially. They then contacted their victims via Facebook messages, pressing them to pay the full amount plus a room guarantee deposit, claiming the promotions were valid only for the current month with limited availability.
However, after victims transferred the money, they discovered at check-in that no bookings had been made and that the bank accounts used for payment did not belong to the hotels.
The three suspects have been handed over to Pattaya police station to face charges.
The Tourist Police have urged tourists to carefully verify whether Facebook pages genuinely belong to hotels before transferring money to reserve rooms. - The Nation/ANN
