CHONBURI — More than 100 people in Chonburi province went to the police today to complain they paid application fees for government jobs that never existed.
At least 120 victims filed fraud charges en masse at the Laemchabang Police Station this morning, alleging that one year ago a soldier named Wanchai advertised that Laemchabang’s port authority was hiring cleaning staff and security guards, and charged each applicant 150 baht for the job application.
“We were really interested, and we paid the fees willingly,” Arunlak Chanhom, one of the alleged victims, said.
However, when job applicants showed up at the port office for the appointed date for their job interviews, they were told by officials there were no such open positions and that the job application was phony.
Arunlak, 47, said she and other applicants completely fell for the scam because Wanchai told them he was a soldier hiring workers under order of the Laemchabang Municipal Office.
Police and local authorities said they will look for Wanchai.
According to Police Col. Chanchoke Senachak, an officer at Laemchabang Police Station, at least 120 have filed charges so far, and more are expected to arrive in the next few days.
In the wake of the military coup d’etat in May 2014, soldiers have been routinely assigned by the ruling junta to serve as officers in laws enforcement and other administrative efforts. The junta also permits soldiers to detain individuals for up to seven days and search properties without court warrants.
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