YouTuber arrested in £47m scam probe after bizarre singing cock-up

Natthamon Khongchak, 32, from Thailand, tried to flight her crimes by leaving her country. However, she was busted by the constabulary aft she couldn't sing Indonesia's nationalist anthem

A YouTuber who allegedly scammed her followers retired of £47million was arrested aft she attempted to fly the state earlier she was busted by cops.

Natthamon Khongchak, 32, from Bangkok, Thailand, was named astatine the centre of a trading fraud probe aft much than 6,000 victims came guardant to complain. The model, nicknamed Nutty, hosted a YouTube channel with implicit 800,000 subscribers. She posed arsenic a overseas speech trader and was known for sharing expected tricks and tips. On her societal media, she posted luxury holidays and lavish cars.

According to the apprehension warrant, Natthamon and her caput Nichapat Ratananukrom were wanted "for unneurotic defrauding people". They are accused of "advertising oregon announcing to the nationalist of money borrowing wherever the wage benefits rates are higher than the highest involvement complaint that a fiscal instauration tin pay".

One of the victims said that she had mislaid the equivalent of £42,000. She told section media: "I was redeeming this wealth to nonstop my children to university. I thought that the wealth Nutty promised would assistance america unrecorded a much comfy life. Now I americium sick with interest arsenic I've mislaid everything."

Natthamon's strategy began to autumn apart, erstwhile investors claimed they had not received the instrumentality they had been promised. A period later, Natthamon stated successful an Instagram station that she had made a mistake successful trading and mislaid each the money. When the strategy unravelled, she fled to Kuala Lumpur with her caput earlier taking a vessel to a distant Indonesian island, wherever her parent aboriginal joined her.

Natthamon was allegedly applying for an Indonesian passport this period - which would person allowed her to question internationally - erstwhile migration officials became suspicious of her accent. They reportedly asked her to sing the nationalist anthem and the recite country's constitution but she failed. Police said she past broke down nether interrogation and admitted she had entered the state illegally. Further checks with bungling officials successful Thailand - who had initially allowed her to gaffe done the nett - revealed she was a fugitive wanted for the wide investment scam worth astatine slightest £47 million.

Natthamon's parent was besides arrested successful Indonesia and they were deported to Thailand. They arrived backmost successful Bangkok contiguous and were remanded successful custody, facing lengthy jailhouse terms. Speaking to the media, Natthamon claimed she had turned herself in. She said: "It was not my volition to tally away. I ne'er thought of that. I surrendered to the police. I privation to apologise to everyone for what I person done. I privation to apologize for bringing shame connected the country."

Police Lieutenant General Thatchai Pitaneelabut, of the Royal Thai Police, said: "The fishy has been arrested for a fiscal fraud involving banal trading with damages of much than 2 cardinal Baht. It has been recovered that the 3 suspects fled Thailand done earthy channels successful the confederate portion successful 2022 earlier hiding successful Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Later, she illegally entered Indonesia done Batam Island earlier travelling to Dumai City with different radical helping them flight earlier being arrested successful Dumai City, Riau Province, connected the land of Sumatra, Indonesia connected October 2, 2024. She is presently nether probe and volition beryllium sent to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) for ineligible action."

Lawyers representing the alleged victims filed aggregate complaints with prosecutors. They assertion she has utilized her power connected societal media platforms to lure victims into investing wealth with the committedness of speedy returns of 35 per cent but not paying out. Phaisal Ruangri, a lawyer who campaigns to assistance fraud victims, said determination are astir 6,000 victims who person allegedly been fleeced of much than £47 million. He claimed 1 capitalist had deposited arsenic overmuch arsenic £423,000 with Natthamon and was yet to person immoderate returns.

He said: "The investors trusted her due to the fact that she was a fashionable YouTube prima with astir a cardinal subscribers. She utilized her popularity to instrumentality her followers. On societal media, she displayed her wealth, with holidays, decorator clothes, handbags, and cars. Her fans believed she was a palmy businesswoman."