Thai cybercrime bureau busts personal data trader in Phuket

In Phuket, there has been an arrest in relation to the sale of personal data extracted from gambling websites. This dramatic event unfolded yesterday, as Thai Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) officers yesterday swooped down on their unsuspecting target at about 12.30pm.

The suspect, only identified as 28 year old Phadungkiat, was apprehended in the Mueang District, as detailed in a recent CCIB update. A graduate of a Faculty of Engineering university, majoring in computer science, Phadungkiat played a role as a system administrator for a virtual gambling website.

Under the authority of a warrant sanctioned by the Phuket Provincial Court, the cyber sleuths arrested Phadungkiat. The offences he was engaged in violated the Computer Crime Act 2007, the Gambling Act 1935, and the Personal Data Protection Act 2019 (PDPA), as stated by the CCIB brief.

A prior arrest in Trang led the CCIB officers to Phadungkiat. This was clarified by CCIB commissioner, Pol. Lt. Gen. Worawat Watnakornbancha. During the operation, several items were seized as evidence, including mobile phones, computers, bankbooks and data storage devices. The breadth and depth of the scheme were revealed when it was found that the personal data originated from over two million online accounts.

In a private Facebook group of around 100,000 members, the data was sold. The information provided by the online gambling group’s customer database included user names, surnames, phone numbers, bank account specifics, and Line ID details. A sliding scale was adopted for the data sale, with costs from 500 baht for details of 100,000 names to 3,500 baht for the full list of over two million names.

The buyers then used the purchased data for promoting online gambling marketing or conducting online scams. Phadungkiat, it was also discovered, had developed a ready-to-use system, replete with a full working website and data interface, and a prepared database ready to be uploaded.

Phadungkiat starts his illegal operation by selling data related to approximately two million Facebook accounts, charging a price of 8,000 baht. The data was marketed for advertising an online gambling website under his supervision. The accused admitted that he sold the data, in various quantities, around six times.

However, after a month, he switched from designing online gambling websites to focusing on selling personal data. During this year-long trade in personal data, Phadungkiat serviced around 15 to 20 customers, providing him with an average income of about 50,000 baht per month.

Currently, Phadungkiat is facing the charges as outlined in the arrest warrant and awaits further legal proceedings. As investigations continue and broaden, the CCIB warns people about the risks of revealing too much information online, reports The Phuket News.