A man impersonating a police officer from the Crime Suppression Division managed to befriend and deceive the owner of a tattoo shop in Chonburi, ultimately stealing gold jewelry worth over 300,000 baht.
The incident occurred on October 14, 2024, when the thief, who introduced himself as a junior officer, claimed to be suffering from depression after a breakup and asked for a place to sleep. The tattoo shop owner, Phonchai Hanchaiyuphoomi, trusted the impersonator and even accompanied him on outings.
On the day of the theft, the impersonator asked to use the bathroom and then stole a gold necklace weighing three baht along with a gold amulet, disappearing shortly after. Phonchai was led to discover the theft after noticing that the impersonator was wearing a similar gold chain before leaving.
Phonchai recounted that he initially met the thief at a friend’s hair salon and later invited him to stay at his shop, believing him to be genuine due to his attire and demeanor, which mimicked that of a real police officer. Following the incident, he reported the theft through social media, urging people to be vigilant against scammers.
This article was rewritten from a Thairath’s news article.
