The 28-year-old was arrested in June 2020 after a police investigation was opened in August 2018 into money laundering and a fraudulent scheme linked with the remittance of funds from Thai expats in Australia back home to the kingdom.
A 28-year-old Thai woman was denied bail before the Supreme Court in New South Wales, Australia on Tuesday and is facing 103 charges connected with fraud and the loss of up to $9.7 million from victims including fellow Thai expats and men online who she deceived through online romance scams.
A 28-year-old Thai woman was refused bail last Tuesday before the New South Wales Supreme Court as police working with the fraud squad in the Australian state have now raised no less than 103 charges against her with a total loss of $9.7 million to victims in a range of scams and schemes over the last few years.
It is understood that Sydney police began investigating Siriluck Fatima Chimmalee in August 2018 when her activities came to their attention.
Offered a remittance scheme for money to Thai expats living down under sending money home
This was in relation to money laundering activities and schemes where Thai expats living down under were offered a ‘saving scheme’ to invest money and a remittance service to send money back home to the kingdom.
Ms Siriluck claimed she had a special licence to provide such a service.
One victim of the Thai con woman who held herself out, among other things, as a lawyer, airline pilot and trainee doctor, named by police as ‘Kai’ said she invested $25,000 with the woman on the promise of a return of $120 every two weeks for 3 months.
After Ms Siriluk’s arrest by Sydney financial crime police in June 2020, the full extent of her activities emerged including online romance scams
However, it was only after the arrest of the 28-year-old Ms Siriluk at her home in the upmarket South Strathfield area of Sydney, near the financial district of the city in June 2020 that officers learned the full extent of her activities.
These included a range of romance scams targeting wealthy businessmen in which not only did the Thai woman dupe her victims out of money but she also managed to elicit their personal details which she used later to obtain finance, loans and credit cards through a range of identities and companies.
Used data gleaned from online encounters to register companies, obtain loans and credit cards
Police evidence to the court was the data gleaned by Ms Siriluk was used ‘for the purpose of applying for further personal loans and conducting other fraudulent activity’.
In court on Tuesday last, Ms Siriluk represented herself and was trenchant in her denial of the extent and substance of the charges against her.
The charges range across the legal spectrum from acts of dishonesty, obtaining money, financial advantage to deception and fraud under a wide array of statutes governing this sort of activity in Australia.
Woman denied the charges this week
She told Judge Richard Button that the claims were ‘unacceptable, unforgivable and untrue’.
‘I completely reject that kind of money was in play,’ she asserted.
Nonetheless, the judge refused her bail, the third bail application to the courts by Ms Siriluk which has been rejected.
The court found her a flight risk and was concerned that she may use her freedom to interfere with witnesses in the case being built by financial crime police against her.
Accused of making contact with a witness
On Tuesday, she was questioned in court after police suggested she had made contact from prison with a potential witness.
Ms Siriluk vehemently denied this saying the accusation of witness tampering could not possibly be true as, at the time, she was on a phone call with her lawyer.
Designer brands found at her home
Police in Sydney have also revealed that a raid on Ms Siriluk’s home in February this year found thousands of dollars worth of designer shoes and clothes including an expensive Gucci handbag valued at over $4,000 new.
The designer brands also included Chanel and Louis Vuitton.
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Further reading:
Thai woman jailed awaiting sentencing after guilty verdict in sex slavery case in Australia
Car number plate fraud ends in murder and suicide after Chiang Mai police serve arrest warrants
Thailand hit by online fraud schemes with billions lost by savers looking for a quick buck
Billionaire groom in Bangkok prison on cheque fraud charge after his arrest on Thursday night
Money for Beer – Woman’s 4-year easy money Facebook ride brought down by scrupulous friend
High profile model arrested on fraud charges totalling ฿10 million in Bangkok by CSD police
Police chief reveals massive fraud on We Travel Together scheme centred on a small Chaiyaphum resort
