Woman Busted for Selling Fake Medical Certificates Online

A 33-year-old woman who earned half a million baht a month from selling fake medical certificates online, has been arrested in Bangkok. Ms Niphaporn Ponghiran was apprehended by the Patrol and Special Operations Division (191 Police) Friday.

The 191 police seized from her house a computer, two printers, an ATM card, seven stamps of the Ministry of Public Health, public hospitals and private hospitals; a “paid” stamp, 500 fake medical certificates from several hospitals, two gram of crystal methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Pol Maj Gen Samran Nuanma, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Bureau the raid followed a tip-off that fake medical certificates were sold online via a Facebook page called “Tongkarn Bai Rabrong Phaet” (Want medical certificates).

Police began the investigation and found that the suspect had been creating fake medical certificates in her home and selling them online.

During the search on Friday, officers noticed a computer monitor on which images showing how to falsify a medical certificate were displayed.

Falsifying documents and official stamps

Among the certificates found were fake documents for pregnancy and ultrasound results, said Pol Col Piyarat. The drugs and paraphernalia were also found in front of the monitor on the second floor.

During the interrogation, the suspect confessed to opening the Facebook page to sell fake medical certificates six months ago, police said.

She told police that she had saved files for medical certificate files from the internet. She then altered details of patients and added ID numbers of physicians in the forms and printed them out.

As for the hospital stamps, she had asked shops to make them. She sold the fake certificates for 500 baht each. At least 500 customers used her service, said Ms Niphaporn, who claimed she earned between 250,000 and 500,000 baht a month from the business.

Police initially charged her with falsifying documents and official stamps, possession and use of illicit drugs. The woman was handed over to Phasicharoen police station for further legal action.

Source: Post Media, CTN News