Crime

Woman Scams US$70,000 From Buyers of Japanese Dolls

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2022

Woman Arrested for Scamming US$70,000 From Japanese Dolls Buyers

A 25-year-old woman has been charged for allegedly scamming more than 1,400 people into making bogus online purchases worth over US$70,00 for Japanese dolls.

Bangkok Metropolitan Police identified the online scammer as Ms. Kanita Khiewkham, 25. She was apprehended at an apartment in the Wang Thong Lang district of Bangkok yesterday.

She was arrested under warrants issued by the Thon Buri criminal court on charges of fraud; and importing false information onto the internet.

The arrest occurred after the website chaladohn.com received complaints from more than 500 people alleging they had been duped in their purchases of Japanese dolls, by Ms. Kanita.

The suspect advertised acrylic Japanese dolls on her Twitter account “@HaruHana_Shop” for US$20 to over US$100 each, but despite payment and payment receipts, no dolls were delivered to the purchasers.

Japanese dolls are highly collectible

Japanese dolls kokeshi are highly detailed and stay together perfectly (they can change facial expressions and such). However, both are excellent collectibles.

A Nendoroid doll can cost upwards of $20, depending on the character and piece.

In almost all cases, Nendoroids come with optional faceplates as well as a ton of accessories.

Those who enjoy displaying their collectibles often, taking creative photos of their figures, or just enjoying play-ability in their collection will enjoy these.

Japanese doll buyer file charges

Bangkok Police said a total of 1,446 people fell victim to her scam, with some filing criminal complaints against Ms. Kanita.

According to investigators, the damages over the different types of Japanese dolls were estimated to be about US$70,286.00.

As for Ms. Kanita, she is reported to have confessed to the crime. When the dolls were not delivered after a few months, the victims began complaining and searching for her, she reported.

In the course of time, she decided to close her Twitter account selling the traditional Japanese dolls and begin working as a convenience store cashier.