Online Scam Leads to Tragic Family Massacre in Thailand

Thai police suspect that at least 11 individuals were involved in a loan scam that led a man to kill his wife and two young sons before attempting to take his own life. The man, Sanit Dokmai, had become a debt guarantor for a friend who fled, leaving him responsible for a debt of 400,000 baht ($11,400). In an effort to help, Sanit's wife applied for a loan online but was scammed, losing over 1.7 million baht ($48,000). Thailand has been grappling with a surge in cybercrime and scam cases, with over 200,000 online reports of scams totaling an estimated 30 billion baht ($855 million) or more in 2022. The country recently enacted a law allowing banks to freeze suspicious accounts for 72 hours without requiring a police report.