Thai Police Bust Gang In China 'Call Centre' Scam

[webfact]

Thai police bust gang in China 'call centre' scam

Bangkok, March 28, 2012 (AFP) - Thai police Wednesday arrested a gang of 15 Chinese and seven Taiwanese who operated a "call centre" scam that conned more than $300 million out of people in mainland China, officials said.

They were seized at an upmarket rented house in Bangkok which they used as their base, along with hi-tech equipment such as routers and Internet telephones.

Police Major General Prawut Thavornsiri said they were caught in a joint operation between the police and the Department of Special Investigation.

The gang called people in China and convinced them to transfer money via ATM by pretending they were calling from their bank or the police.

DSI deputy director general General Yannaphon Yangyuen told AFP that according to Taiwanese authorities the gang had scammed more than 10 billion baht ($325 million) from their victims.

Another DSI official said they would be handed over to immigration police to check on their legal status in Thailand.

Similar scams by Chinese gangs targeting Chinese credit card holders have been reported in Taiwan and Malaysia.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-03-28

[Zpete]

Either simpletons, or an good offer and greedy people get sucked in.

Really, no sympathy for the victims.

[sparebox2]

why are the Chinese so stupid to fall for the scam?

Such thing will not happen in Europe or America.

Edited March 28, 2012 by sparebox2

[BrianCR]

why are the Chinese so stupid to fall for the scam?

Such thing will not happen in Europe or America.

hey booboo, it happens all the time in Europe but only to greedy people!

[BrianCR]

why are the Chinese so stupid to fall for the scam?

Such thing will not happen in Europe or America.

hey booboo, it happens all the time in Europe but only to greedy people!

Sorry - and Americans

[bigbamboo]

The Nigerians will not be happy!

[bobl]

"Another DSI official said they would be handed over to immigration police to check on their legal status in Thailand."

Oh yes, because their immigration status trumps the fact they just stole $300 million...

[harleyclarkey]

Geez...that's a third of a million???!!! Can this be the real amount?

That is $14.8 million each. Greed got them stung...pure greed. Thank goodness for greed in this case.

[clockman]

you cannot con an honest man!

[MAJIC]

Send the thieving scum back to China,i'm sure the chinese will know how to look after them,and stop them from ever having the chance of doing it again.

[webfact]

22 held in scam

THE NATION

NONTHABURI: -- A gang that operated a fake call centre and lured foreigners into transferring money into its bank accounts was busted yesterday.

The gang was based in Thailand's Nonthaburi province. All 22 suspects arrested were either Chinese or Taiwanese.

According to Taiwan's Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau, such deceptive operations have cost Taiwanese people more than Bt10 billion each year.

"The arrests are a result of our three-month-long investigation," Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Tharit Pengdit said yesterday. He said the DSI had conducted the investigation in collaboration with the Immigration Bureau.

Armed with a search warrant, DSI and relevant officials raided a rented house in Nonthaburi's Pak Kret district at around 7am yesterday. Twenty-two suspects were arrested and their computers as well as phones seized.

Also found at the scene were Chinese-language scripts being used to lure victims into transferring their cash to the gang-controlled bank accounts.

"The gang has trained its staff like an academy. The accomplices have been taught how to convince their victims," Tharit said. He said the investigation showed many call centres had operated like franchisees.

"They have been linked to deceptive call centres based in China and Taiwan, too. Those call centres have targeted Thais," Tharit said.

Immigration Bureau's deputy chief, Pol Colonel Chatchai Iamsaeng, said all 22 suspects would be prosecuted for violating immigration laws because they had travelled to Thailand on tourist visas.

-- The Nation 2012-03-29

[noitom]

This will require substantial "investigation and research" to track the $300 million USD. This is a big windfall for the Thai police. Once they track whatever money and seize the bank accounts that they can find, they should ship these partially evolved vegetables back to China. The Chinese due process will know how to stand them in front of the wall fast.

[webfact]

22 Chinese, Taiwanese nabbed in call centre scam

BANGKOK, March 29 – The Thai authorities Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on Wednesday arrested 22 Chinese and Taiwanese in connection with a call centre scam costing victims in Taiwan and China billions of baht in damages.

DSI Director-General Tharit Pengdit said the 22 suspects were arrested this morning at a rented house in Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi province as a result of an extended investigation of the arrest of a Chinese call centre scam gang.

The authorities seized items including computers, telephones, conversation scripts in Chinese and lists of victims' telephone numbers during the raid.

The initial investigation found that, Mr Tharit said, the gang rented the house two weeks ago for Bt35,000 per month. They also installed internet-based long-distance telephones to lure victims in China and Taiwan to transfer money to them.

Mr Tharit said the suspects pretended to be bank officials or police, telling the victims to pay them to avoid legal action as their accounts were found to have linked with illegal acts.

The DSI chief said that total damages were estimated at billions of baht.

In another case, the DSI arrested Doroming Rohae, alias Abhisit Yuso, a prime suspect in a ‘rice pyramid’ fraud scheme which caused about one thousand victims more than Bt200 million in damages.

Earlier, the DSI arrested 15 suspects in the case which took place in the northern province of Chiang Mai since 2007. Mr Doroming, who played a key role in the scam by publicising and convincing the public to join the scheme, escaped arrest until he was recently apprehended in the Andaman coastal province of Krabi.

Since the arrest of the suspects in the rice pyramid scheme fraud, 798 court cases were filed and have been quickly proceeding against those charged. The maximum punishment for the offence is 20 years in jail. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-03-29

[mrtoad]

why are the Chinese so stupid to fall for the scam?

Such thing will not happen in Europe or America.

Moronic statement - Greed is everywhere, and these types of scams happen everywhere.

[swillowbee]

... yep ... Thailand is the place.

... if you are an investor in the crimes business, Thailand warmly welcomes you to their shores ... illegal prostitution, illegal gambling, illegal phone scams! ... yes, criminal entrepreneurs, it's all here for you.

... it seems criminals the world over now recognize and value Thailand as the place where crimes may be purpetrated with impunity.

... surprising that these guys were apprehended, but arrest doesn't mean they will actually be prosecuted and convicted ... this is the beginning of a long negotiation that really should have been negotiated before these guys got so far along ... USD 300m is a lot of money ... and money buys a lot of sympathy from the Royal Thai [fill in the blank].

... Thai greed is now more powerful than the Thai's Buddha.

... (sorry, but I am feeling particularly cynical this morning).

Edited March 29, 2012 by swillowbee

[Thai at Heart]

22 Chinese, Taiwanese nabbed in call centre scam

BANGKOK, March 29 – The Thai authorities Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on Wednesday arrested 22 Chinese and Taiwanese in connection with a call centre scam costing victims in Taiwan and China billions of baht in damages.

DSI Director-General Tharit Pengdit said the 22 suspects were arrested this morning at a rented house in Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi province as a result of an extended investigation of the arrest of a Chinese call centre scam gang.

The authorities seized items including computers, telephones, conversation scripts in Chinese and lists of victims' telephone numbers during the raid.

The initial investigation found that, Mr Tharit said, the gang rented the house two weeks ago for Bt35,000 per month. They also installed internet-based long-distance telephones to lure victims in China and Taiwan to transfer money to them.

Mr Tharit said the suspects pretended to be bank officials or police, telling the victims to pay them to avoid legal action as their accounts were found to have linked with illegal acts.

The DSI chief said that total damages were estimated at billions of baht.

In another case, the DSI arrested Doroming Rohae, alias Abhisit Yuso, a prime suspect in a ‘rice pyramid’ fraud scheme which caused about one thousand victims more than Bt200 million in damages.

Earlier, the DSI arrested 15 suspects in the case which took place in the northern province of Chiang Mai since 2007. Mr Doroming, who played a key role in the scam by publicising and convincing the public to join the scheme, escaped arrest until he was recently apprehended in the Andaman coastal province of Krabi.

Since the arrest of the suspects in the rice pyramid scheme fraud, 798 court cases were filed and have been quickly proceeding against those charged. The maximum punishment for the offence is 20 years in jail. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-03-29

At least they aren't looking at this as a chance to stop skype.....

[enricobkk]

... if you are an investor in the crimes business, Thailand warmly welcomes you to their shores ... illegal prostitution, illegal gambling, illegal phone scams! ...

....whats the difference between a legal phone scam and an illegal one ?

[TomTao]

why are the Chinese so stupid to fall for the scam?

Such thing will not happen in Europe or America.

hey booboo, it happens all the time in Europe but only to greedy people!

Sorry - and Americans

And Australians, but its usually Africans doing the scamming.

[anterian]

... if you are an investor in the crimes business, Thailand warmly welcomes you to their shores ... illegal prostitution, illegal gambling, illegal phone scams! ...

....whats the difference between a legal phone scam and an illegal one ?

A legal scam is called "cold selling".

[jshorts]

Either simpletons, or an good offer and greedy people get sucked in.

Really, no sympathy for the victims.

You have no sympathy for simpletons?

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

why are the Chinese so stupid to fall for the scam?

Such thing will not happen in Europe or America.

You really need to do some research....

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

why are the Chinese so stupid to fall for the scam?

Such thing will not happen in Europe or America.

hey booboo, it happens all the time in Europe but only to greedy people!

Sorry - and Americans

And Australians, but its usually Africans doing the scamming.

And Russians...

[newermonkey]

Either simpletons, or an good offer and greedy people get sucked in.

Really, no sympathy for the victims.

Why do you speak so harshly? uneducated simple country folk exist around the world in most counties and if you go and stay a while with these sorts you will find even though they are not at all worldly and seem to be a bit like big children you will generally find them to be the nicest and most generous people in the world.

It would be a shame if the all the people of the world lost this type of innocents and become "city slickers".

They need all the help they can get in this world to preserve their simple way of life, but I am sure the Thai authorities will now benefit from that huge amount of money and none of those conned will see any of it back.

There should be some kind of "United Nations" that monitors government agencies such as the police to ensure the monies from such gangs is returned to the rightful owners, but unfortunately there is not a lot of honesty left in this world generally and we are all loosing our individuality and looking more and more the same and acting more like rats than people.