Crime Call Centre Scam Shocks Chiang Mai University, Millions Lost

[webfact]

Chiang Mai University. Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

 

A cunning call centre scam has struck Chiang Mai University, leaving ten students out of pocket by millions in a single day. The fraudulent operations, persisting during a recent long holiday, have pushed both local authorities and the university into urgent action.

 

In a disturbing revelation, a male student was conned into transferring over 2 million baht through four transactions. Convincing fake documents and relentless pressure via video calls were used to dupe the student and his family. Utterly helpless, they transferred amounts ranging from 400,000 to 600,000 baht before communication was cut.

 

A different scam saw a female student instructed to don headphones and bring a knife to a police station. Fortunately, the astute duty officer noticed the unusual behaviour, defused the situation, and confiscated the knife. It highlights the power of psychological tactics used by these scammers, preying on the young’s lack of worldly experience despite their academic prowess.

 

Five of the ten students fell prey directly through call centre tactics, while others were tricked by fake government impersonations, video call threats, and bogus scholarship offers. Authorities are doing their best, having frozen some bank accounts and monitoring financial activities. Recoveries have been made, yet many cases remain distressingly unresolved.

 

CMU is actively working with police to arm students with information and support. Assurances have been given that no major data breach has occurred, noting these scams as isolated events. However, the call for vigilance remains strong amidst ongoing investigations.

 

Solving this scam epidemic needs a united stand between universities, telecom providers, and authorities to forge strong prevention measures. Students and families should stay cautious, alert, and informed to avoid falling victim. As of now, authorities press on in a rigorous crackdown against this devious crime wave.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-06-06

 

 

[topt]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

A different scam saw a female student instructed to don headphones and bring a knife to a police station. Fortunately, the astute duty officer noticed the unusual behaviour, defused the situation, and confiscated the knife. It highlights the power of psychological tactics used by these scammers, preying on the young’s lack of worldly experience despite their academic prowess.

Can someone explain what was the point of this?

[Gottfrid]

Sad to hear that the education level is that low, so universities are not teaching the students what they need to know in life.