Mass Arrests In Thailand, Across Asia Over Phone Scam Network

[webfact]

Mass arrests across Asia over phone scam network

PHNOM PENH (AFP) - Hundreds of Chinese and Taiwanese nationals have been arrested across Asia in an international operation targeting telephone scam artists, officials in several countries said Friday.

Most of the arrests were in Indonesia and Cambodia where 177 and 166 people respectively were held in a cross-border crackdown on criminals using Internet phone services to trick thousands of victims across the region out of money.

In Malaysia, police on Borneo island arrested 27 Chinese and 10 Taiwanese nationals for allegedly duping people into paying fake traffic fines, the official news agency Bernama and New Straits Times daily reported.

And Thai police said they had arrested four suspects, one Taiwanese woman and three Thai nationals, in raids on seven locations in Bangkok based on information provided by Taiwanese police.

They said a representative of the Taiwanese police was present during the arrests.

The massive police operation appeared to be a co-ordinated response to tip-offs from authorities in China and Taiwan, though neither country confirmed or denied their involvement when contacted by AFP.

Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau said it was still verifying the reported arrests while China's ministry of public security said it had no immediate comment.

Jakarta's police chief Sutarman said 76 Chinese and 101 Taiwanese nationals had been arrested in 15 different locations in the Indonesian capital "following requests by Chinese and Taiwanese police".

He said the suspects would rent houses with broadband access and make phone calls over the Internet "to many victims in China, Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam in which they posed as an official to extort money".

Cambodia's Interior Ministry said in a statement on Friday the "crackdown on cross-border extortion" happened "in collaboration with the ministry of public security of the People's Republic of China".

The nationwide raids in Cambodia, which also saw one Vietnamese woman taken into custody, followed numerous victim complaints, a police spokesman said, adding that the suspects had "many tricks" to extort funds.

Details of the scams are sketchy and appeared to have varied in different countries.

The group in Malaysia is accused of calling individuals in China and telling them they had been issued a traffic summons, asking them to pay money into an online account to settle the fine or face court action.

Police said they believed thousands of people were taken in.

The element of surprise was key for the scam artists, said police in Thailand, who found 43 ATM cards, more than 20 mobile phones and bank account details in their raids.

"This team's task was to find Thai bank account numbers and send them to another team in China where Thai people will call victims and ask the victim to transfer money to a Thai bank account," said Police Colonel Phanthana Nutchanart.

"The two main tricks are to surprise the victim, for instance by telling them they have won the lottery, or to frighten them by saying their bank account or credit card was suspended," he said.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-06-10

[theoldgit]

Mass arrests in Thailand - 4

[henlin]

Mass arrests in Thailand - 4

You're being cynical now, arent't you? They were told to go to seven different places to find those four people...

[RedNIvar]

Mass arrests in Thailand - 4

You're being cynical now, arent't you? They were told to go to seven different places to find those four people...

Sent on a merry go round by the Taiwanese Police Rep. I wonder if they arrest 3 of these guys twice?

[greg71]

As one can see from the bangkok post site it doesnt mention mass arrest in thailand,Once again a slow news day thai visa news stirring the pot hahahah

[pac4155]

Mass arrests in Thailand - 4

You're being cynical now, arent't you? They were told to go to seven different places to find those four people...

Sent on a merry go round by the Taiwanese Police Rep. I wonder if they arrest 3 of these guys twice?

Thai Police couldn't find their arse with both hands, but they are good at finding tea-money.

[witsawakorn]

Mass arrests in Thailand - 4

You're being cynical now, arent't you? They were told to go to seven different places to find those four people...

The OP doesn't say anything about Mass arrests in Thailand. It just says that there were 4 arrests in visits to 7 locations in Thailand which tells us nothing about the extent of the scam operation here hence no way to measure the relative success of the operation here compared to other locations in Asia. The only information of any interest to Thailand is that 4 people who were allegedly involved in scams have been arrested. IMO that has to be a positive step so I don't see any value in trying to find a way to put a negative slant on the information. We could say that the level of phone scamming activities operated from within Thailand is very low when compared to Indonesia, Cambodia and Malaysia based on the number of arrests made. It doesn't sound very impressive but it is a statement of fact based on the OP:-)

[whybother]

The OP doesn't say anything about Mass arrests in Thailand.

<snip>

Thread Heading:

Mass Arrests In Thailand, Across Asia Over Phone Scam Network

OP Heading: Mass arrests across Asia over phone scam network

[theoldgit]

The OP doesn't say anything about Mass arrests in Thailand.

Apart from the headline which said

Mass Arrests In Thailand, Across Asia Over Phone Scam Network

[witsawakorn]

The OP doesn't say anything about Mass arrests in Thailand.

Apart from the headline which said

Mass Arrests In Thailand, Across Asia Over Phone Scam Network

Yes that was TV's enhanced title. The OP doesn't mention mass arrests in Thailand

[sirchai]

Mass arrests in Thailand - 4

You're being cynical now, arent't you? They were told to go to seven different places to find those four people...

The OP doesn't say anything about Mass arrests in Thailand. It just says that there were 4 arrests in visits to 7 locations in Thailand which tells us nothing about the extent of the scam operation here hence no way to measure the relative success of the operation here compared to other locations in Asia. The only information of any interest to Thailand is that 4 people who were allegedly involved in scams have been arrested. IMO that has to be a positive step so I don't see any value in trying to find a way to put a negative slant on the information. We could say that the level of phone scamming activities operated from within Thailand is very low when compared to Indonesia, Cambodia and Malaysia based on the number of arrests made. It doesn't sound very impressive but it is a statement of fact based on the OP:-)

Cambodia's Interior Ministry said in a statement on Friday the "crackdown on cross-border extortion" happened "in collaboration with the ministry of public security of the People's Republic of China".

I never liked Chinese plastic shit anyways.....:jap:

[Thailand Traveler]

Mass arrests in Thailand - 4

You're being cynical now, arent't you? They were told to go to seven different places to find those four people...

This is because they couldn't find them in the first 6 locations (mistake), but they got them at last!

[bitterbatter]

With that many employees, they must have been in business for a while. I wonder if they have a pension plan.

[ableguy]

How boring the story pumped and the comments

[troy04]

How boring the story pumped and the comments

I agrre. Not the point and no gain.

Can anyone tell me what the criminals can do with bank details and owners name and email address?

They try to get this from sellers on internet auctions too these days. Anyone who buys a product (for as low as 1 euro) will get this data anyway and could theoretically miss-use it.

thanks for info!

[doxxie]

Good news is that China is so strict, these scammers will probably get a bullet in the head! Worst was when we had the epidemic of Grand ma scams, these people truly have no hearts and deserve whatevers coming to 'em"

[homeslice]

How boring the story pumped and the comments

I agrre. Not the point and no gain.

Can anyone tell me what the criminals can do with bank details and owners name and email address?

They try to get this from sellers on internet auctions too these days. Anyone who buys a product (for as low as 1 euro) will get this data anyway and could theoretically miss-use it.

thanks for info!

In the US there is a huge crime wave called "identity theft". People collect your information in whatever way they can (go through your trash) and use it to impersonate you, and take your money. Or, even worse, use your name if they are arrested. This has been going on for years with the lawmakers and bankers doing nothing to stop it. There is an insurance policy (allstate, travelers) now that you can buy in case you are violated. There was even a guy who used to put his own social security number up on a billboard and told people his identity theft insurance policy was bulletproof. Sadly it wasn't, someone took out a forty thousand dollar loan in his name. Imagine having your identity stolen and all the countless months it would take you to put your life back on track.

My advice; Never under any circumstanced give your personal information to anyone if you can at all help it. If you must, find a way to minimize the exposure. For example, if an employer will only pay you through direct transfer, get a dedicated account for that employer and move the money from one account to the other physically, not over the internet.