KUALA LUMPUR: A 27-year-old woman who had been believed to have been abducted for a ransom of 25 million baht (RM3.25 million), was discovered at a shopping mall in Bang Na district on Saturday evening.
It was reported that Lu Xinlei was found by police at HomePro Bangna.
She was then escorted to Phra Khanong police station to reunite with her mother and elder sister, who had hastily flown in from China upon receiving news of the suspected abduction.
She was reported to have fallen victim to a call scam wherein individuals posing as Japanese authorities falsely accused her of violating anti-money laundering regulations.
These scammers demanded a transfer of 17 million yen for purported examination purposes.
She was also instructed to depart for either Thailand or Singapore and forbidden from contacting her family in Shanghai.
However, Lu's parents in China received a call from an unidentified individual, claiming their daughter had been kidnapped.
The caller demanded a ransom of approximately 25 million baht for her safe release.
In response to the ransom demand, Lu's father initiated a frantic search.
It was discovered that although Lu had purchased a ticket for a flight from Thailand to Singapore on that same day, there was no evidence of her leaving the country.
Upon further investigation, police believed that both Lu and her parents had fallen victim to a call scam gang that had tricked them without any real abduction taking place.
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