Thai officials have detained a Chinese woman linked to a cryptocurrency fraud scheme, uncovering that her boyfriend, also apprehended at the same site, is a wanted fugitive in China for kidnapping.
Wu Di, a 27-year-old citizen of China, was taken into custody on March 19, 2025, by the Technology Crime Suppression Division of the Thai police due to her role in scams that have swindled victims out of more than $17.7 million in just two months. The captures occurred during a raid at her rental residence in Pattaya, a popular tourist destination, where her partner, Zhou Zongyon, a 29-year-old Chinese man evading authorities for kidnapping, was also found.
Reports state that Zhou is sought for allegedly kidnapping a woman in Cambodia, during which he supposedly sent her family distressing images of her being tortured and demanded a ransom of $138,000. He reportedly crossed into Thailand illegally through the Cambodian border.
In the cryptocurrency scam, Wu is said to have approached a Thai teacher on Facebook, convincing her to invest in a fake fund listed in Singapore dollars. Initially, the victim received modest returns and managed to withdraw some money. However, when she tried to reinvest, she discovered that she could not retrieve her funds, prompting her to alert the authorities. Ultimately, the victim lost around $44,311 due to the scam.
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Investigators traced the embezzled money to four accounts linked to Thai nationals, commonly referred to as “puppet accounts,” which temporarily held the cash before it was converted into cryptocurrencies. The tokens were eventually transferred to a digital wallet registered in Wu’s name in Cambodia. Further investigation indicated her account was associated with at least 63 fraud cases, totaling $18,256,746 reported to law enforcement.
During the raid, officers uncovered evidence on Wu’s phone, including images depicting a luxurious lifestyle, suspected narcotics, and a significant amount of cash. Additionally, her device showed signs of her frequent travels between Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia.
Wu has refuted the charges, claiming that her ex-boyfriend opened the account to mask funds for a criminal organization. However, police have expressed dissatisfaction with her explanation and are pursuing further evidence.
At the same time, Thai authorities apprehended four individuals connected to the puppet accounts, three of whom are facing charges. Zhou, the suspected kidnapper, has also been arrested, as he may be involved in facilitating financial transactions for scam operations.