PUBLISHED: 7 Feb 2025 at 04: 00
Two Chinese citizens are being detained by Bangkok officers as senior members of a call center group that ran a sophisticated “add insult to injury” fraud.
Their subjects were persuaded by the perpetrators that despite having been stolen, their income could still be recovered if they gave their financial information.
The two defendants, identified as Yi Wanyou, 29, and Li Weijia, 30, were arrested at a home in Chatuchak city under subpoenas issued by the Criminal Court on Tuesday, federal police chief Kittharath Punpetch said on Thursday.
Officials also seized more than 400, 000 ringgit in money, 4 million baht worth of pleasure things, a Mercedes-Benz vehicles and five cellular phones. Investigators discovered details about the contact center frauds that were saved in the phones.
According to Pol Gen Kittharath, the crew used an “add insult to injury” policy to get and then mislead patients.
The gang fabricated Facebook accounts for the Royal Thai Police, various police divisions, and the Anti-Money Laundering Office ( Amlo ) according to the investigation.
It purchased followers to improve the reliability of the websites before purchasing adverts on social media, promising to observe confiscated assets.
People who responded to the advertisements were directed to a Line team. They were contacted it by alleged legal professionals and technology experts who had the ability to produce encouraging financial transaction charts demonstrating the legitimacy of their money being transferred to gambling websites.
The actual scams started when the cybercriminals offered to help the patients get their money back at that point.
On Thursday, police in Bangkok’s Chatuchak area detained two reportedly senior Chinese call center gang members. Acting on court-approved permits, the policeman even seized information worth 15 million ringgit. ( Photo: Royal Thai Police )
According to Pol Gen Kittharath, the methodology has grown in popularity not only in Thailand but also in neighboring nations.
According to one of the group’s victims, Mr. Yi and Mr. Li were detained after filing a complaint with Huai Khwang Police Station.
Both have been first accused of selling bank balances and phone numbers without authorization. They denied the charge, said Pol Gen Kittharath.
However, hacking authorities have arrested a 23-year-old Thai man who worked for a Cambodia-based call center fraud group that duped 151 patients out of about 800 million ringgit.
The suspect, who was only identified as Anuwat, told police that he had been hired to manage a Poipet, Cambodian gambling site in 2023.
However, when he arrived there, he was assigned to a call centre scam operated by Thai and Chinese gangsters, said Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan, head of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB ).
Authorities said the fraud had three stages. A potential victim may be contacted by one member to gain their trust, then be moved to a second column where another will serve as a police officer to improve their reputation, and eventually to a third party who gave the survivor advice on how to transfer funds.
Mr Anuwat handled the next line and earned at least 100, 000 bass regular.