Ponzi scheme alleged as qualities of ‘white medicine’ supplement questioned online
TWENTY-SEVEN people on Thursday filed a complaint with consumer-protection police against what they alleged was a Ponzi scheme involving the sales of collagen supplements.
The group was led by Samart Jenchaijitwanich, president of the Anti-Ponzi Scheme Federation of Thailand.
One of the complainants, Sattaya Srisangkaew, a beauty clinic employee, claimed that he had been tricked into joining the business selling the collagen supplements.
The firm, which he did not name, provided him with training and convinced him to invest Bt36,000, promising weekly profits of Bt1,200.
However, Sattaya said, he had contacted the firm after it failed to pay him, when he told that he had to invite friends to join the business.
He said he was afraid that recruiting other people might violate the law, so he had decided to file a complaint with police.
Meanwhile, Samart told police that he would initiate a legal action against the owner of Luxury Delight, Nattapong Pohsukarn, who allegedly had deceived people by convincing them that he had become wealthy due to the business by posting photos of himself posing with luxury cars.
Samart also alleged that Nattapong had concealed that he had not bought the cars using profits from the business, but they were instead purchased using loans.
Alleged victims claimed that they had been convinced to sell “Ya Kao”, or “white medicine”, a food supplement that is supposed to make skin firmer and whiter, Samart said.
Meanwhile, Nuttapong met with officials from the Office of Consumer Protection Board, denying that his company was a Ponzi scheme.
He met with police and other staff from his company for six hours, afterwards telling reporters that he had not appeared earlier because he had had to prepare documents and evidence to substantiate his claims.
He said his business had about 30,000 members and he could not control their behaviour, while claiming that cheating might have been committed by members of the business at the managerial level.
He added that he had dismissed many managers who had deceived people.
The story has gone viral on Facebook amid discussions about the real qualities of the supplement.
