11-07-2025
Retired man loses nearly B50,000 in luxury watch auction scam
NONTHABURI - A 65-year-old pensioner has lost 48,100 baht after falling victim to a fake luxury watch auction on Facebook, with police now investigating the online fraud scheme.
Mr Nithikarn, the victim, filed a complaint with Pak Kret Police Station on Thursday following his experience with the fraudulent Facebook page "24 Ticker", which presented itself as a legitimate platform for auctioning second-hand branded watches.
On July 4, Mr Nithikarn participated in an auction for a used Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch with a starting price of 29,000 baht.
Multiple users appeared to bid, with prices rising to 47,000 baht before Mr Nithikarn placed the winning bid of 48,000 baht just before the 2pm deadline.
The page administrator then contacted him requesting payment of 48,000 baht plus 100 baht delivery fee. Confident in the page's authenticity due to apparent bidder participation and absence of negative comments, Mr Nithikarn transferred 48,100 baht to a Bangkok Bank account under the name Thawatchai.
The fraud became apparent when a purported insurance company demanded an additional 9,999 baht as shipping insurance – a requirement not mentioned in the original auction terms. When Mr Nithikarn refused and requested a refund, the fraudsters blocked all communication channels.
Mr Nithikarn now believes the operation involved accomplices who participated in fake bidding to establish credibility.
He has warned other online shoppers to exercise extreme caution when purchasing high-value branded items through social media platforms, recommending physical store visits instead.
Police have identified the recipient bank account and are proceeding with freezing procedures whilst preparing to issue a summons for the account holder.
