Scam Hubs: Thai Police Say 99% of Workers Joined Voluntarily

[webfact]

Picture courtesy: Thai Newsroom

 

In a startling revelation, Thai authorities have disclosed that a mere 1% of workers returning from scam centres in Myanmar are genuine victims, with the vast majority reportedly engaging with these criminal operations willingly. This announcement follows rigorous investigations into the activities of numerous scam centres situated along the Thai-Myanmar border.

 

Pol. Gen. Thatchai Pitaneelabut, who heads the Centre for the Protection of Children, Women and Families, commented on the process of welcoming back individuals fleeing from these illegal employments.

 

He revealed that discussions with various international ambassadors are imminent, aimed at ensuring a smooth return of call-centre workers crossing into Thailand. Notably, the Thai government has clarified that not all these returnees will be categorised as victims, given the voluntary nature of their initial participation.

 

Just yesterday, reports indicated that 7,000 individuals trapped within these scam rings were in the process of being released and escorted back to Thailand. This follows strategic actions by Thai authorities, including cutting off electricity, Internet, and fuel supplies to select townships in Myanmar, effectively crippling scam operations and encouraging a mass return.

The Thai-Myanmar crossing through Mae Sot has seen an uptick in movement, with Pol. Gen. Thatchai noting that immigration records trace a wide array of nationalities using this checkpoint.

 

Remarkably, it appears that nearly all of these workers made conscious decisions to join scam rings, with only an estimated 1%—like the case of Chinese actor Xingxing, who endured brief captivity—truly misled into these activities.

 

Additionally, four Japanese nationals, suspected of involvement in human trafficking, have been apprehended as they attempted to cross back into Thailand, further highlighting the complexity of dismantling these transnational crime networks.

 

Picture courtesy: Thai Newsroom

 

The criminal syndicates, often run by Chinese nationals, typically employ Thai citizens to establish mule accounts. The illicit operations extend across Cambodia and Laos, thus complicating the network's dismantlement.

 

As Thai authorities continue to process and differentiate victims from willing participants, the Border Command Centre is tasked with their care in the interim. Anticipated meetings next week between police and embassy representatives will address the logistics of returning foreign nationals to their respective countries.

 

This ongoing saga took another twist when the Philippine embassy flagged an individual claiming victim status as a potential human trafficking suspect, underscoring the challenges in distilling truth from deceit in these complex cross-border operations, reported Thai Newsroom

 

-- 2025-02-14

 

 

[jippytum]

Then 99% should be charged and jailed like the criminals they are. Not  given aid and refugee status. 

[flyingtlger]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

In a startling revelation, Thai authorities have disclosed that a mere 1% of workers returning from scam centres in Myanmar are genuine victims, with the vast majority reportedly engaging with these criminal operations willingly.

 

I hard this statement hard to believe. 

I think it more like, 99% of the workers were "duped" into working at the scam centers.....

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The criminal syndicates, often run by Chinese nationals, typically employ Thai citizens to establish mule accounts. The illicit operations extend across Cambodia and Laos, thus complicating the network's dismantlement.

Chinese gift to the world.... everything they touch is corrupt.

[ronster]

So we're they employed knowing they were going to be scamming people or were they employed not knowing exactly what the job entailed when they started doing it ?

They might have been offered jobs with good wages compared to what they usually get and immediately just though ok sounds good . Then when they started working they realise what the job actually is and not as was described to them to get them there.

[mfd101]

Desperately poor people do desperately stupid things.

[Gottfrid]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

In a startling revelation

Oh! How startling!!! An idiot can understand that the organizations have not kidnapped 7000+ people. Of course there will always be people who jump on the train to the unknown willingly. Now they get good treatment and help for losing their job. It´s hilarious!

[khunjeff]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

In a startling revelation, Thai authorities have disclosed that a mere 1% of workers returning from scam centres in Myanmar are genuine victims, with the vast majority reportedly engaging with these criminal operations willingly.

 

Startling, yes, as well as totally unbelievable. "You have a job opening for a professional scammer? And the benefits include being locked in a building and being severely beaten when I don't meet my quota? And there's no pay? Sign me up!!"

 

The victims engaged "willingly" in the sense that they voluntarily came to Thailand to take what they thought were legitimate jobs in programming, hospitality, acting, or modeling - they were not kidnapped off the street. But the "willing" part ended when they were diverted to Burma or Cambodia and ordered to start scamming people. In fact, the 99% claim is so ludicrous that one has to wonder whether it's just being rolled out to divert attention from the possible involvement of the police and military in facilitating these operations.

 

 

[jippytum]

2 hours ago, mfd101 said:

Desperately poor people do desperately stupid things.

lot of poor people do not scam other people of their savings. 

[Jim Blue]

Well it's a half truth , they may have joined voluntarily but they couldn't leave .......

[nakhonandy]

Well I'd guess that 99% signed up willingly is probably true, however I doubt all 99% knew the exact employment. 

Different levels of guilt here.

[KireB]

8 hours ago, jippytum said:

Then 99% should be charged and jailed like the criminals they are. Not  given aid and refugee status. 

I don't think authorities can prove their wrongdoings.

[FritsSikkink]

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Chinese gift to the world.... everything they touch is corrupt.

Of course, in your home country there are only angels.

[BritScot]

10 hours ago, ronster said:

So we're they employed knowing they were going to be scamming people or were they employed not knowing exactly what the job entailed when they started doing it ?

They might have been offered jobs with good wages compared to what they usually get and immediately just though ok sounds good . Then when they started working they realise what the job actually is and not as was described to them to get them there.

I watched a documentary about a scam call centre (I think in Pakistan) and all the people around it new about the scam centre, in their community and 100% supported what they were doing. No moral compass, just greed for money. Don't judge people by your own morals because these people have none. They are the scum of the earth and everyone involved should be locked up. They ruin people's lives.

[Lorry]

16 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

An idiot can understand that the organizations have not kidnapped 7000+ people

They kidnapped a lot more than 7000 people. 

Online scamming has become a global industry,  bigger than the drug trade. 

It has taken over whole countries (eg Cambodia).

It originated in China, but the scamming enterprises now need English speakers to serve the US market. 

Their employees usually come willingly to Bangkok (having been duped), but not many work willingly in a prison compound, complete with torture rooms,  in warlord-held territory in Myanmar, or in the Lao part of the golden triangle. 

 

Required reading:

 

https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/08/southeast-asia-web-scams-reach-us-setting-alarms-law-enforcement

 

https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/05/transnational-crime-southeast-asia-growing-threat-global-peace-and-security

 

https://www.economist.com/weeklyedition/2025-02-08

 

https://www.economist.com/audio/podcasts/scam-inc