Thai Transgender Who Extorted 1.2 Billion Won from 73 People... Why Only Targeted Japanese Men?

Hanwha Fraud Scheme Worth 1.1 Billion Won
Targeting Only Japanese Men
"I Wanted Revenge on My Japanese Ex-Boyfriend"

A transgender person named A in Thailand was arrested by the police on charges of fraud. Photo by Weixin

A transgender woman in Thailand carried out a series of fraud schemes targeting multiple Japanese individuals to take revenge on her ex-boyfriend.

On the 2nd (local time), Hong Kong's SCMP reported that a 49-year-old Thai transgender woman, Ms. A, defrauded 73 Japanese people of approximately 30 million baht (about 1.175 billion KRW) over 13 years out of a desire to get back at her ex-boyfriend, who was Japanese. The police launched an investigation after receiving a report from a 36-year-old Japanese man, Mr. B, who recently visited Thailand, and arrested Ms. A in Bangkok.

Mr. B first met Ms. A in Thailand last January. At that time, Ms. A introduced herself as a Hong Kong tourist and lied that she had lost her passport and wallet. The two exchanged contact information after Ms. A borrowed money from Mr. B to pay for her hotel stay, and they quickly grew closer. Ms. A borrowed money several times from Mr. B for insurance premiums, medical expenses, and other reasons but never repaid him. She also tricked Mr. B into buying gold, which she then sold to obtain cash.

Ms. A is known to have previously committed fraud by posing as a tourist from Taiwan or Hong Kong to other Japanese men. She borrowed money claiming to have lost her wallet and needed funds to renew her passport or received money for medical treatment under the pretense of being infected with COVID-19. There were also indications that she persuaded victims to invest in fake businesses and then embezzled money by claiming the businesses had failed. During the investigation, the police discovered that all the victims were Japanese men. Regarding this, Ms. A stated, "I was defrauded by a Japanese ex-boyfriend I dated in the past," and "After suffering pain and distress from that, I committed crimes to take revenge on Japanese men."

Meanwhile, in Thailand, a conviction for fraud can result in imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of up to 60,000 baht (about 2.34 million KRW). Overseas netizens who learned about the story responded with comments such as "It seems Ms. A's claim is a lie" and "The best revenge is becoming a better person."