A popular Thai YouTuber, Nutty, also known as Suchata Kongsupachak, reportedly fled the country after she allegedly cheated thousands of followers, swindling about $55 million through a foreign exchange trading scam, police said.
A lawyer representing dozens of victims reportedly said one person alone deposited $493,500 into Nutty's bank account.
Outraged investors are offering a $137,000 reward for information about her whereabouts.
“This scam is similar to other Ponzi schemes, but the differences are public relations and deceptive methods,” police told the media. The authorities have so far received complaints from 102 people claiming they lost a total of$825,000, while those affected continue to lodge complaints every day.
According to reports, Nutty often showed off her purchases, such as luxury cars, watches, and property, on social media and claimed that she had amassed her wealth from forex trading. However, her fans were shocked when the influencer announced in May that she had lost all the money due to a “trading mistake.”
Since June, Nutty hasn't been active on social media and some of the victims believe she has fled the country. However, according to immigration records, the woman should be still in Thailand.
During the initial investigation, police said Nutty was found linked to a Thai and Singaporean couple who were arrested in Malaysia on fraud charges earlier this month. The pair was accused of failing to deliver luxury watches and bags worth US$22 million to customers in Singapore.