A 66-year-old victim has reported suffering financial loss after investing over half a million baht in a direct selling business linked to “The Icon Group,” inspired by a popular 90s artist. He, along with another victim, met with police on October 13, 2024, in Bang Lamung, Chonburi to seek advice and file a complaint against the company.
The victim, Mr. Supee, initially invested 25,000 baht to become a dealer but was later persuaded to invest an additional 250,000 baht, culminating in a total investment of over 500,000 baht between him and his family. He was led to believe in high returns due to promotions by artists showcasing their success, including luxury items and significant profits from online sales within 17 months.
However, he soon realized that the business model focused on recruiting new members rather than selling products, leading to an inability to sell the goods he received. Consequently, he had to donate unsold items to the elderly and expressed his wish to prevent others from becoming victims.
Another victim, a 48-year-old factory worker named Mr. Noppamongkol (surname withheld), shared that he and his sister invested a similar amount of over 500,000 baht but only received about 50,000 baht back. Unable to sell the products, some of which expired, he decided to quit the investment to avoid being associated with a scheme that deceives others.
Both victims plan to formally report their complaints to the police and may approach the Office of Consumer Protection for further assistance. They have also gathered video evidence of a meeting led by the company’s dealer, promoting direct selling and showcasing success stories, along with purchase documentation and photos with artists from their meetings.
This article was rewritten from a Thairath’s news article.