India, April 23 -- A Thai woman working in the United States has told UN News how she fell for a scam orchestrated by a criminal network in Asia - and lost $300,000.

Wannapa Suprasert received a call from scammers who drew her into an elaborate false narrative involving identity theft, an international police investigation and the threat of a criminal trial.

She was told that she and family members could face jail time: "They made a threat that they would be tapping my phone. The mind is very powerful because once you're in that delusion, I guess I couldn't think clearly and I was just very concerned about my family safety," she said.

It began on a Friday afternoon in March 2024 when Suprasert, who goes by the name of Bow, received a c...