Thai police dismantle Chinese call centre scam in Chiang Mai

Thai cyber police dismantled a Chinese cross-border call centre scam gang based in Chiang Mai, involved in defrauding victims in China, arresting 13 suspects, including seven Chinese nationals and six from Myanmar.

Today, June 28, officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) led by Worawat Watnakornbancha, along with senior officials, conducted a raid on a pool villa in Doi Saket district, Chiang Mai. The operation was based on a warrant issued by the Chiang Mai Provincial Court dated June 24.

The raid resulted in the arrest of 13 people and the seizure of significant evidence, including 90 mobile phones with Chinese SIM cards, nine computers, and handwritten Chinese documents.

Worawat explained that the investigation started when the Special Tools and Techniques Division of CCIB expanded their probe from the southern region of Thailand. They discovered the use of call centre equipment and identified a group of Chinese nationals operating as a call centre scam gang in Doi Saket.

Surveillance revealed that the villa was exclusively occupied by Chinese nationals, equipped with high fences, and CCTV cameras, which remained brightly lit at night, indicating suspicious activities.

The police gathered sufficient evidence and obtained a search warrant. Upon entering the villa, they found the suspects actively working inside. The seized items included one desktop computer, eight laptops, 94 mobile phones, and three sheets of Chinese language documents.

Friendly fire

A police officer involved in the investigation, Bancha Srisuk, detailed the modus operandi of the gang. The suspects operated in groups, targeting Chinese citizens by offering long-term savings insurance investments.

Each member had three mobile phones and received lists of potential victims through the Telegram app. They contacted the listed individuals, posing as insurance agents, and claimed their policies were expiring, offering promotions for renewal at prices ranging from 800 to 2,000 yuan (approximately 4,000 to 10,000 baht).

If a victim showed interest, the suspects would inform them that the payment would be automatically deducted from their accounts. For those not interested, they would be told that a representative would contact them for personal information to cancel the policy.

The collected data would then be passed to another group within the gang, who would pose as website representatives and seek further details, including the victim’s name, phone number, and ID card number. This information would ultimately be used to siphon money from the victims’ accounts.

The suspects face multiple charges, including participation in a transnational criminal organisation, impersonation, and computer-related fraud. They were taken into custody along with the seized evidence and handed over to the CCIB for further legal proceedings, reported KhaoSod.