Chinese cyber crook arrested for using Thai personal data in US
The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) arrested a Chinese man at a rented house in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok for using the personal information of Thai citizens to conduct e-commerce fraud targeting victims in the United States.
CCIB officers uncovered that the suspect, a Chinese man who rented a house in the Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi as his operational base, was buying personal data from Thai citizens at prices ranging from 900 to 1,000 baht per record.
The data was used to set up accounts on major US-based e-commerce platforms, Etsy and Amazon. The online offered products at low prices and were operated for five to six months to build credibility and gain the trust of customers.
Then, these accounts were then sold to other Chinese nationals for amounts ranging from 40,000 yuan to 200,000 baht. The new operators of these accounts would use them to scam unsuspecting shoppers, suddenly shutting down the stores after receiving large orders without delivering the products or issuing refunds.
Following further investigation, the CCIB identified the suspects as 31 year old Guo Xin and his Thai girlfriend, 24 year old Tararat Buabjit, both of whom were found at the rented property in Nonthaburi.
Xin claimed that he entered and resided in Thailand legally under a digital nomad visa, also known as an LTR visa. He denied committing any fraud, insisting that his actions were not illegal and that he was merely following instructions from his Chinese employer.
Police officers seized a significant number of devices allegedly used in the fraudulent activities, including 120 mini PCs, 80 USB hubs, 369 mobile broadband modems (AirCards) with SIM cards, as well as laptops and monitors.
Tararat stated that she was unaware of many details of the operation but admitted that her Chinese boyfriend used Thai citizens’ personal information to establish online stores on e-commerce platforms. Approximately 100 stores were reportedly managed by Xin.
Details of the legal charges and potential penalties faced by Xin and his girlfriend have not been disclosed.
