Who is 'Nutty,' fugitive YouTuber arrested in ₹450 crore scam
What's the story
Thai YouTuber Natthamon Khongchak, popularly known as "Nutty," has been arrested in Indonesia after two years of dodging law enforcement.
She and her mother Thaniya Khongchak were wanted in Thailand for their alleged role in a financial scam.
The duo was arrested last month in Dumai, a town in Indonesia's Riau province. They had been on the run since July 2022.
Online persona
Nutty's rise to fame and investment scheme
Nutty gained fame through her YouTube channel, Nutty's Diary, where she displayed her dancing and singing talents. She frequently recreated popular scenes from Blackpink and BTS.
With over 800,000 subscribers back then, she leveraged her online fame to market herself as an investment guru.
In July 2022, Nutty introduced a forex investment scheme promising high returns of up to 35% within a year with monthly payouts.
Scam fallout
The fallout of Nutty's investment scheme
Soon, investors reported that they didn't receive the promised returns from Nutty's forex investment scheme.
This led Nutty and her mother to flee Thailand with their secretary, Nichaphat Rattanukrom.
The failed scheme left over 6,000 investors in the lurch who lost nearly ฿2 billion (approximately ₹458 crore) collectively.
To explain the discrepancies, Nutty claimed the funds were lost due to errors in trading strategy before fleeing the country.
Capture
Attempt to blend in and subsequent arrest
According to the South China Morning Post, the Khongchaks tried to blend into Indonesian society but their Thai accent raised the suspicion of immigration authorities.
During questioning, Nutty was asked to sing the Indonesian national anthem but she failed, prompting officials to dig deeper and learn her true identity.
The mother-daughter duo were then deported back to Thailand on October 25, where they were handed over to local police at Don Mueang airport in Bangkok.
Legal proceedings
Charges and apology from Nutty
Natthamon Khongchak has 13 arrest warrants from Thailand's Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau for her alleged involvement in the investment scam. Her mother is wanted in two other related cases.
Both are widely charged with fraud and misleading the public.
On reaching the immigration bureau, Nutty apologized to her victims but didn't give more details on the case, The Bangkok Post reported.