A 70-year-old woman in Thailand who initially fell victim to a call centre scam and lost over 410,000 baht (RM52,800) ended up making a surprising profit – all thanks to a twist of fate and surging global gold prices.

Tricked into believing she was involved in money laundering

According to Ch7HD News, the scam began when the fraudster convinced the elderly woman that her bank account was linked to a money laundering case. Fearing legal trouble, she transferred 410,000 baht (RM52,800) to an account in Hong Kong as instructed.

Soon after, her Thai bank account was frozen, and the scammer persuaded her to invest the rest of her savings in gold bars, then pass him the gold bars. Trusting the caller, she went on to buy gold worth more than 14 million baht (RM1.8 million) in cash over several days.

However, as doubts grew, the woman approached police on October 17. Together, they devised a plan to trap the culprit.

Police set trap for scammer

The scammer told the woman to hide the gold bars in a milk powder tin and bring it to a designated meeting point. On Oct. 18, she arrived at the location, unaware that plainclothes officers – disguised as a delivery rider and a motorcycle taxi driver – were monitoring the area.

When a man appeared and attempted to approach her, officers immediately moved in and arrested him. Surveillance footage of the dramatic arrest was later shared by multiple Thai media outlets.

Hong Kong national with overstayed tourist visa apprehended

The suspect, a Hong Kong national, was detained for his alleged role in the fraud. According to police, his job was to collect assets from victims and deliver them to other members of the syndicate.

Records revealed that he had entered Thailand in December 2024 under the tourist visa exemption scheme, which allowed him to stay until January 2025. However, he had remained in the country without a valid visa until October 2025.

Gold investment pays off unexpectedly

In a surprising turn of events, the elderly woman’s decision to buy gold – though initially prompted by a scammer – turned out to be remarkably profitable.

After the case was resolved, she sold all her gold holdings for 16.7 million baht (RM2.15 million), profiting from a 15% surge in global gold prices during the weeks she was purchasing the metal.

Thai media reported that her 14 million baht (RM1.8 million) cash investment had appreciated to around 15.4 million baht (~RM1.98 million) by the time she finished buying, as gold prices steadily climbed in September and October.

When she eventually sold, the total value reached 16.7 million baht (RM2.15 milion), translating to a realised profit of 2.7 million baht (RM347,000).

Even after factoring in the 410,000 baht (RM52,800) she initially lost to the scam, she still netted around 2.3 million baht (RM296,000) in gains.

A fortunate outcome from an unfortunate event

Ironically, the woman likely sold her gold near its peak, as global prices have since fallen by more than 6%.

While the incident began as a distressing scam attempt, it ended with the victim turning an almost unbelievable profit – transforming what could have been a devastating financial loss into a remarkable stroke of luck.

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