A Thai-British beauty queen lost 4 million baht (P6.8 million) after falling victim to an AI-driven scam operated by a suspected syndicate in Cambodia, authorities confirmed in a South China Morning Post report.
Charlotte Austin, one of at least 163 victims, was deceived by scammers posing as Thai law enforcement officers. The perpetrators accused her of money laundering and pressured her into transferring funds to “prove” her innocence. Once she complied, the money was never returned.
Two suspects, identified as Ramil Pantawong, 31, and Thanawut Kanyaphanthe, 28, have been arrested. They reportedly worked for a criminal gang running a scam call center in Poipet, Cambodia, near the Thai border. Both claimed they were lured via social media to manage a gambling website but were instead coerced into the scam. Kanyaphanthe, who was able to escape after developing a heart condition, was later apprehended in Bangkok.
Authorities revealed that the syndicate used AI to modify their appearances in video calls, making them look like real officers. The scammers followed scripts provided by Chinese gang leaders to manipulate victims into transferring large sums of money.
AI-assisted scams have also been reported in the Philippines. A recent raid in Makati led to the arrest of 100 individuals involved in online love scams. Investigators discovered that fraudsters used AI tools to generate fake conversations and profile pictures, tricking victims into investing in bogus cryptocurrency schemes. The Department of Justice has recorded over 100 Filipino victims of such scams.
