Members of the Australian Thai community are falling victim to Ponzi scams operated through Facebook, with one group that SBS Thai has learned of losing nearly half-a-million dollars.
Kai* is among fifteen Thais in Australia that SBS Thai has learned are seeking to recuperate $480,000 lost from a shady investing scheme they came across on Facebook.
Kai learned of the scheme through posts on many Facebook pages frequented by Thais in Australia. The messages, posted by a Thai woman based in Sydney, invited people to invest in her 'money-saving' scheme in return for an unusually high rate of paid interest.
"She offered some monthly and fortnightly 'money-saving' schemes,” Kai tells SBS Thai. “For example, if you invest $1,000 with her, she will give you interest of $60 fortnightly for the duration of three months."
SBS Language | Scam watch: Facebook Ponzi schemes take Thais in Australia for nearly half-a-million dollars