Call centre scam costs elderly woman 760,000 baht
Banking delays under scrutiny after scam case emerges
A call centre scam targeting the elderly has been reported by a renowned prosecutor after her nearly 80 year old mother was swindled out of 760,000 baht. The scam involved a con artist posing as a reputable businessman online, exploiting loopholes in the banking system to delay investigations.
Yesterday, May 12, at the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, prosecutor Supaporn Nipavanich, known as Prosecutor Dao from the Office of Narcotics Case Litigation, filed a complaint against a call centre gang.
Her mother was deceived by a man who befriended her on social media, persuading her to transfer money over a brief period of four to five days. The scammer, using the alias Harry, claimed to be a Vietnamese businessman residing in the UK.
The scam involved gaining the victim’s trust through polite conversations on platforms like WhatsApp, leading to multiple financial transactions. The fraudster concocted stories of business troubles and shipping issues requiring financial assistance.
The victim ended up transferring nearly her entire savings through internet banking and was further tricked into withdrawing funds from her savings account to deposit at a bank counter, transferring money through mule accounts, totalling 760,000 baht (US$22,860) in five days.
Upon discovery, Supaporn immediately reported the case to the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau. The police promptly filed charges of computer-related fraud and public deception. They quickly froze the accounts involved, facilitated by the bureau’s online complaint system, which effectively enacts account freezes upon order.
Call centre
However, challenges arose when attempting to track the case using the online system www.thaipoliceonline.go.th. The issue stemmed from the banking procedures, where transactions done at bank counters were not assigned a case ID, essential for online tracking.
Despite police efforts to freeze accounts, banks claimed that only online transactions qualified for a case ID, hindering the investigation process. This required victims to call various bank branches involved, as the hotline did not provide case IDs, creating further delays.
Supaporn urged banks to protect citizens, especially the elderly, by improving their processes. She highlighted the confusion and delays caused by the banks’ stringent conditions, which could exacerbate the situation for those unable to physically pursue the matter. The banks’ refusal to issue case IDs despite police requests for account freezes was particularly frustrating, reported KhaoSod.
A Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau investigator noted that the lack of a case ID prevented the system from processing the case online, forcing victims back to manual procedures. This included daily logs, summons, and postal communications, further delaying justice for the victims. The current system calls for urgent improvement to prevent future inconveniences.
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