Parents warned about student ‘exchange programme’ scam

Kasetsart University student who lost B700,000 the latest victim

(Photo: 123RF)

The “exchange programme” scam has become a growing concern among parents, with a reported rise in cases involving university students being lured to hotels where they are asked to persuade their parents to transfer money for a “bank book guarantee”.

The latest case involved a business administration student at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, who lost 699,900 baht to scammers before being rescued from a hotel on Monday, according to a university statement issued on Thursday.

Acting university president Khongsak Thiangtum also clarified that the student had not been kidnapped from the university’s campus in Chatuchak district, as had been reported previously, while outlining the sequence of events.

On Sunday afternoon, the student, whose year of study was not disclosed, received a call from scammers posing as representatives of the mobile operator AIS. The call was later transferred to another scammer claiming to be a police officer from the Muang Loei police station in northeastern Thailand.

The student was falsely told they had been implicated in a nationwide fraud network and was instructed to communicate via Telegram. The gang demanded 700,000 baht as proof of innocence.

According to the university, the student was threatened and pressured into lying to their parents about being selected for an exchange programme.

The parents said their child claimed to have received a scholarship to participate in a programme at New York University and requested money for a bank book guarantee.

Trusting their child, they made three transactions — 49,900 baht, 250,000 baht and 400,000 baht — on Monday.

After being alerted to the situation, the university determined that the claim was fraudulent and reported the matter to Phahon Yothin police, who launched a rescue operation.

Investigators later located the student at a hotel in the area.

The student was safely reunited with their parents, and later provided information to investigators at the Phahon Yothin station.

A similar scam was reported last week in Pathum Thani, where two Rangsit University students were rescued from a hotel after transferring a combined 900,000 baht to scammers.

Police are continuing their investigation. No arrests linked to the scheme have been reported so far.