BANGKOK, Thailand – The Civil Court has ordered Kasikornbank to pay 1 million baht plus 5% annual interest to Miss Grand Thailand 2022 runner-up Charlotte Austin’s company after ruling that the bank shared responsibility in a fraud case involving a 4 million baht transfer to scammers.
The case was filed by Miss Charlotte Co., Ltd. against Kasikornbank, alleging that the bank failed to provide adequate detection and warning measures for suspicious transactions, resulting in financial losses after scammers tricked Austin into transferring money.
The complaint stated that Austin transferred a total of 4 million baht in three transactions to criminals who also forced her to remain on a video call for 24 hours as part of the scam. The Civil Court ruled that the first transfer of 2 million baht was a normal transaction that the bank could not reasonably have identified as high-risk. However, the second and third transfers, also totaling 2 million baht, were considered unusual because they took place after midnight. The court found that both parties shared responsibility for the losses. While the bank was found partly negligent for failing to identify the unusual transactions, the plaintiff was also considered partly responsible for the damage.
The court therefore ordered Kasikornbank to pay half of the disputed amount related to the suspicious transactions, totaling 1 million baht, plus 5% annual interest from December 8, 2024, until full payment is completed. The bank was also ordered to pay court fees according to the amount awarded and legal expenses of 20,000 baht. The ruling follows an earlier criminal case in which scammers involved in the fraud were convicted on multiple charges, including fraud, computer-related offences, money laundering and involvement in an organized criminal network. The defendants were ordered to jointly repay the full 4 million baht plus interest. The case highlights growing concerns over online financial scams and the responsibility of financial institutions to detect unusual transactions while customers remain vigilant when handling suspicious calls, messages and transfer requests.
