Seven South Korean nationals have been arrested after allegedly operating a large-scale online scam from a townhouse in Bangkok, targeting victims in South Korea through a fake prostitution website. The operation, uncovered by Thailand’s Immigration Bureau, is believed to have defrauded more than 1,000 victims of over 100 million baht. Get today's headlines by email The arrests were announced on 3 July by Major General Phanthana Nuchanart, Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, together with senior officers from the Immigration Bureau Investigation Division. Investigators said the suspects had established their base in a three-storey townhouse in Bangkok’s Sathu Pradit area, where they allegedly ran the scam using computers, mobile phones and other electronic equipment. The investigation began after the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Thailand alerted Thai authorities that a group of South Korean nationals had rented a property in Thailand to operate a fraudulent call centre. According to investigators, the group created a dating website that secretly promoted prostitution services. After victims registered and matched with supposed escorts, the suspects allegedly posed as sex workers, gained their trust, persuaded them to transfer money and then cut off contact. Police surveillance found the property showed signs of being used as a large operational base. Officers observed frequent food deliveries, numerous South Korean nationals entering and leaving the house, and unusually high electricity consumption. Monthly electricity bills reportedly rose from around 1,000 baht to more than 20,000 baht over the previous two months, with lights and air conditioning running throughout the night. Officers later searched the property under a warrant issued by the South Bangkok Criminal Court and arrested seven South Korean suspects identified only by their given names: Eun, 42, Jaechan, 31, Dongyong, 31, Jongbae, 29, Sangjun, 27, Siu, 31, and Hyewon, 30. Authorities seized 63 items, including computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices allegedly used in the operation. Investigators said victims who transferred money were repeatedly asked to pay additional fees and service charges. If they refused, they were allegedly told to send more money to recover their earlier payments. Checks carried out with the South Korean Embassy found that three of the suspects were wanted in South Korea. Jaechan was the subject of 12 fraud warrants, Eun faced two warrants for establishing a criminal organisation, and Dongyong was wanted on one warrant for computer fraud. Following the arrests, the Immigration Bureau revoked the permission of all seven suspects to remain in Thailand and placed them on the country’s blacklist, preventing them from re-entering. They have been transferred to an immigration detention facility and will be deported to South Korea to face legal proceedings. Daily News reported that Major General Phanthana said Thai authorities would continue to investigate and suppress crimes committed by both Thai and foreign nationals, particularly those using Thailand as a base for transnational criminal activity. He also encouraged the public to report suspected offences to the Immigration Bureau or local immigration offices. Pictures courtesy of Daily News Join the discussion? Already a member? Adapted by ASEAN Now Dailynews 4 July 2026
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