Man Arrested for Aiding Call Centre Scam That Duped Woman into Transferring 3 Million Baht

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

A 48-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a sophisticated call centre scam in which a woman was deceived into undressing on a video call and ultimately transferring over 3 million baht to a criminal gang posing as law enforcement.

Pol Maj Gen Witiya Sriprasertphap, commander of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), ordered the arrest of Mr. Alongkorn, who was detained in Soi Wat Phikun Ngoen, Bang Muang subdistrict, Bang Yai district, Nonthaburi province. The arrest followed a warrant issued by the Nonthaburi Provincial Court on 27 May 2025, charging him with fraud by impersonation, inputting false information into a computer system and allowing his bank account to be used in the commission of a crime.

According to investigators, the victim initially received a phone call from individuals claiming to be officers from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). The scammers accused her of involvement in drug trafficking and money laundering, warning that non-cooperation would result in prosecution.

To gain her trust, the suspects sent what appeared to be official documents via a messaging app and instructed her to isolate herself in a hotel room for a “confidential investigation.” During a subsequent video call, the scammers alleged that the victim had engaged in sexual activity with a drug suspect and insisted she remove her clothing to allow a visual search for identifying marks, claiming it was part of the investigative process.

The suspects then requested access to her financial records and instructed her to transfer money to various bank accounts for “verification.” Over time, the victim complied with 18 transfers to 14 different accounts, totalling 3.2 million baht.

Investigators later traced one of the accounts to Mr. Alongkorn, who admitted during questioning that he had opened the account at the request of a friend, allegedly for a commission of 9,000 baht. He claimed he was unaware that it would be used for criminal purposes.

Following the victim’s realisation that she had been scammed, she reported the incident to police, leading to a full investigation and the eventual arrest of Mr. Alongkorn. He has been transferred to Mueang Nonthaburi Police Station to face further legal proceedings.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-06-07