Pattaya Police Return Funds to Call Center Gang, Claiming Refund of PEA Meter Fees Totaling 998,900 Baht

Key summary

On November 6, 2026, Pol. Col. Natthapol Phongsukskul, Superintendent of Nongprue Police Station, and officials from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), Pattaya branch, returned a cashier's check for 998,900 baht to a victim who was scammed by a call center gang. The incident occurred on September 3, 2026, when the victim was deceived by a criminal who used personal information and claimed to be a PEA official, offering a refund for an electricity meter. The victim was tricked into adding a PEA logo on LINE and transferring money through a video call, resulting in a loss of nearly 1 million baht. After realizing the scam, the victim reported the incident to the 1441 hotline and filed a complaint with the Nongprue Police Station. The police froze the account and recovered the funds. The investigation is ongoing to identify the owner of the mule account and the network involved. PEA reiterated that it has no policy of contacting individuals by phone to request information or links.