YASOTHON — 17 January 2026, An elderly couple in Yasothon province have fallen victim to a scam gang that tricked them into borrowing money to pay a fake ransom for their son, leaving them more than 30,000 baht in debt and desperate for help.
Residents in Nong Hin subdistrict, Muang district, complained that scammers had repeatedly called an elderly woman, claiming her son had been kidnapped and demanding money for his release. After failed attempts to seek help from authorities, the family asked the media to help follow up on the case.
An investigation found that Mrs. Nulom., 75, of Village 4 in Nong Hin, was still distraught after transferring more than 30,000 baht to the scammers. She said the money was paid in the belief it would secure the freedom of her son, Mr. Chitchai Jomsri., 37, but it later emerged that the claims were entirely false.
Mrs. Nulom. said she received calls from the numbers 855-978-584-351 and 055-962-124-413. The callers told her her son was being held and was in danger, demanding ransom money and threatening to kill him if she contacted authorities.
She said this was the second time she had been targeted, starting in October 2025. On that occasion, she borrowed money from neighbours and acquaintances, transferring amounts of between 2,000 and 5,000 baht at a time. She said she believed the scam because she heard what sounded like her son crying for help and saying he was being assaulted.
Out of fear that her son would be harmed, she did not report the matter to police. Instead, she continued borrowing money each time the scammers called and demanded further transfers, eventually losing more than 30,000 baht.
“I have suffered like this for months,” she said. “Now I don’t know where to find more money, and I don’t even know how I will repay the debts I already have.”
On 8 January 2026, she decided to file a police report at Muang Yasothon police station, hoping officers could help. Police recorded her statement and told her to wait 15 days for phone signal data to be obtained.
However, she said the scammers continued to call and threaten her every day. She then sought advice from immigration police, but said she was told, “I’m out of options. You have to wait.”
Mrs. Nulom. said she no longer knew where to turn, as she still did not know whether her son was safe or how the scam had been carried out. She appealed to relevant agencies for assistance and said she hoped the media could help her find a way out of her ordeal.