The e-shopping world was rocked last month by an alleged gold scam involving Kornkanok "Mae Tuck" Suwanbut and her husband, Kanpon "Pa Bia" Rueng-aram, who sold "99.99% pure" gold jewellery through their social media live streams.
The allegations emerged when the couple's customers claimed other gold shops refused to buy the gold jewellery they had purchased from the couple, citing a lack of authentic hallmarking amid claims the products had no actual gold content.
More than 300 customers filed complaints with the police, demanding the couple be charged with public fraud.
They insisted the couple intended to mislead them into believing the jewellery was authentic through false advertising.
Proof of purchases and results of gold content examinations were also given to the police.
The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) chief, Pol Maj Gen Witthaya Sriprasertpab, said public fraud is an offence that can lead to a long jail term.
"Police consider every transaction as a separate count of fraud, with each count carrying about five years in prison," he said, citing the Criminal Procedure Code.
"There were cases where the court gave fraudsters sentences that added up to thousands of years in prison," he said.
Pol Maj Gen Witthaya said the boom in digital commerce creates opportunities for criminals to exploit the industry as everyone can become a seller.
The frauds range from sellers not delivering products after receiving payments, or the products, even when endorsed by influencers and celebrities, turning out to be substandard, he said.
He urged consumers to buy from reliable platforms to reduce the risk of falling victim to online scams.
He said gold buyers should check if the gold shop is properly registered, by contacting the Gold Traders Association.
Buying from unregistered shops increases the risk of getting substandard products that cannot be resold.
State agencies must also take stringent actions regarding product regulations and enforce strict penalties against those who fail to comply with the rules, he said.
Kosolwat Inthuchanyong, a senior prosecutor and head of the office for rights protection and legal assistance under the Office of Attorney-General, said withholding details about the products may violate the consumer protection law.
Section 47 says anyone who intentionally causes misunderstanding about the origin, condition, quality, quantity or other aspects of goods or services will face a prison term of up to six months and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht.
Repeat offenders will face a prison term of up to one year or a fine of up to 200,000 baht or both.
Section 52 says if the products contain no labels or have incorrect labels, offenders will face a jail term of up to six months or a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both.
Mr Kosolwat said if customers were provided with essential details, such as the product's gold content, and able to resell them at regular gold shops, there would not be any issues.
He doubted the couple could avoid legal consequences, even though they agreed to buy back their gold jewellery as a way to mitigate the financial damage for buyers.
Dozens of customers flocked to the couple's gold shop in Bangkok to demand a refund, while the shop offered a full refund if customers returned the purchase complete with the gifts that came with the merchandise package.
Those who accepted the terms were required to sign a document agreeing not to take legal action against the couple, a source said.
Mr Kosolwat said police will collect evidence to determine if information was withheld during livestream sales sessions. If the investigation finds some information was withheld, the couple could be charged with fraud or even public fraud because the sessions were broadcast to the public.
He said the couple may face other charges related to illegal trade.
So far, Ms Kornkanok and Mr Kanpon have been charged with committing public fraud; inputting false information into the computer system; advertising misleading messages; and causing misunderstanding about the quantity, quality and other key information about products and services.
Luxury vehicles worth 120 million baht owned by the pair, including a Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe, a Lamborghini, a Ford Mustang Ecoboost Fastback and a Volkswagen Caravelle T69 were impounded by the police.
Witthaya: Fraudsters face long jail terms
Kosolwat: Lawsuits inevitable