Indonesian national arrested in Thailand on cyberfraud charges totaling $10 million

A 33-year-old Indonesian national has been taken into custody at a luxury resort on Phuket Island, Thailand. The individual was arrested following a tip-off from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), according to local media and reports from the AFP news agency.

The suspect is accused of defrauding Americans out of approximately $10 million through romance scams. He was apprehended at the resort on Friday, where he had been staying since arriving in Thailand on Wednesday. The man will be extradited to the United States as part of the investigation.

According to authorities, the suspect had traveled from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and made contact with victims through dating apps and social media between 2022 and 2026. He allegedly hired models to initiate relationships with his targets, then encouraged them to invest in fake platforms with false profit projections.

The incident highlights the growing presence of organized cybercrime groups in Southeast Asia, which have been using various locations as bases for their operations. The suspect is currently being held at an immigration detention centre in Bangkok and will await extradition to the US.

Source: Al Jazeera