Thai Police Bust Taiwanese Call Centre Banking Scam

[webfact]

Thai police bust Taiwanese call centre banking scam

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Crime Suppression police on Tuesday arrested a gang of Taiwan nationals alleged for luring victims to transfer money from their bank accounts to the gang’s bank account.

Pol Col Supisan Pakdinaruenard, acting commander of the police Crime Suppression Division (CSD), said the three Taiwanese, identified as Hsu

Pei-Ken, Shen Huan Chi and Huang Chieh, were arrested in Bangkok after Suchada Saengsingkaew filed a complaint to police that she was lured

by a call-center scamming gang.

Police also confiscated bank books and ATM cards during the raid.

The Taiwanese call centre gang told the victim that her account was found to have been involved with a drug dealer and she needed to transfer nearly Bt200,000 (US$6,250) to the gang's bank account in order to reactivate her back account, said Col Supisan.

Col Supisan said investigation found seven or eight Thais were hired by the Taiwan gang to work in China's Guangzhou.

They make phone calls from China to lure the victims in Thailand to transfer money into accounts which were opened in the kingdom by villagers in Sara Buri province who are paid Bt1,000 ($31) for opening an account for the gang.

When the victims believe what the call centre workers say, they usually transfer money to those accounts. Their money will be immediately withdrawn and transferred directly to the crime network in Taiwan, according to the CSD commander.

Col Supisan added nearly one million baht has been circulated daily in the gang's bank accounts and police are now speeding up the arrest of another gang member who is still at large, believed to be a Filipino national, after the two Taiwan call centre gangs were earlier apprehended.

The trio was initially charged for illegally possessing and using electronic bank cards belonging to other persons, and causing them damage. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-08-18

[metroman]

I can't imagine what they say to convince people to transfer money to a stranger's account. Must be a very convincing story.

[moe666]

People still fall for the Nigeriean scam. I have 1,000,000 dollars in a account but need 10,000dollars from you to get it out and I will give you half if you help me.

[hoaker]

Where the hel_l are the banks in all of this? Aren't they suppose to come out and announce that they'll never contact you through phone or email regarding telegraphic transfers. Heck..banks here never contact you for anything!! Even with large purchases on your card

[BigPanda]

Been contacted by a English scam company and just now by a Korean scam company. Well they said they were a Korean company but the woman speaking sure sounded from Philippines.

Anyway its hard to track them back or to fill a complain because they are based in many countries and always change address and hide phone numbers.

Just never invest with anyone calling you on your private or office phone or anyone sending you email.

It should be simple, but some do fell for it.

And never give your address if they want to send you something free, or your birthday or any personal information

Edited August 18, 2010 by BigPanda