A Thai couple allegedly operated a romance scam using artificial intelligence (AI) to create a social media profile, and murdered a victim in Surat Thani after their criminal action was caught.
The victim, 61 year old Wichit Chompong, was found with more than 10 gunshot wounds in a roadside plantation in Son Sak district. His mobile phone was damaged and left at the scene.
Wichit’s body was discovered by his 56 year old sister, Preeda, who became concerned after he left home at night. She said her brother rarely went out after dark for safety, noting he had previously been involved in illegal gun trading and drug trafficking before later running a shrimp farm.
Before leaving, Wichit reportedly told his granddaughter he was going to deliver fuel to someone. His unusual behaviour prompted Preeda to follow him, leading to the discovery of his body.
According to Channel 8, a housemaid identified as Fern and her boyfriend Sunthon are key suspects. Fern allegedly introduced Wichit to a woman named Ploy and provided him with her social media contact.
Wichit reportedly developed a relationship with the woman online and transferred money to her, despite warnings from family members that the profile images may have been generated using AI. Reports indicated that the funds were transferred to Sunthon’s bank account rather than to Ploy.
Media reports suggested the couple may have created a fake AI-generated profile to defraud Wichit. It is alleged they may have arranged to meet him on the day of the incident and killed him after he became aware of the scheme. Police have not confirmed these claims.
Fern denied involvement, stating she had returned to her family home in another district on the day of the incident. However, a witness reportedly told Channel 8 that Fern was seen with Wichit that day. She declined to speak to reporters and left a police station without giving an interview.
Another man, identified only as Dam, told Channel 8 that Fern introduced him to a woman named Bee in a similar manner. He said he transferred money during the relationship before later suspecting the profile was AI-generated. The funds were reportedly sent to Sunthon’s account, similar to Wichit’s case.
Police investigations are ongoing. Members of the public have called for officers to examine Fern’s mobile phone and computer records as part of the inquiry.
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