The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) yesterday filed separate cases against two pyramid schemes that allegedly duped people to invest money through websites, causing losses of billions of baht.
Piyawat Kingket, head of DSI special criminal cases division, said the DSI had concluded its investigations and passed them on for the public prosecutors’ consideration on whether to file the cases in court.
Firstly Colony Invest had advertised on www.colonyinvest.net and www.colonyinvest.com inviting people to invest at least Bt3,800 with the company. After the investment money was wired into the company’s system, the investors did not have to do anything and could check their dividends around the clock on the website.
The company claimed its headquarters was in Rochester City, New York State, and its financial business was in six fields â€" including Forex trading, hotels and resorts, and property development.
DSI investigation found these websites had no link to the USAbased company but claimed its name only to obtain public credibility. He said hundreds of people were duped, causing damage worth billions of baht.
The other case was a scheme by Blue Ocean Siam that invited people via www.mohart.com, www.blueoceansiam.com and www.webinvester.com, to invest money in Moh Art Dot Com, whose president was identified as Tharawat Phermphokhasap, for the website space renting business. He said 238 people were lured into the scheme and wired money, totalling Bt63 million, to Tharawat’s bank accounts.
Piyawat urged the public to beware similar pyramid schemes which often promised high returns.
