Amlo: Don't open accounts for gangs

[webfact]

CRIME
Amlo: Don't open accounts for gangs
Piyanut Tumnukasetchai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE ANTI-MONEY Laundering Office (Amlo) has released the names and photos of persons suspected of opening bank accounts for fraudulent call centres.

These gangs have already duped more than 200 victims causing financial losses of well over Bt100 million.

At a press conference yesterday, Amlo released both the list of names list and the photos of suspicious bank-account holders.

"Close your suspicious bank accounts now or face legal action," Amlo secretary-general Seehanart Prayoonrat warned.

He said many lawbreakers had hired other people to open bank accounts for them at the rate of Bt2,000 and Bt3,000 per account. The bank-account holders only opened the accounts and then left the transactions and accounts for their payers to use for illegal activities.

Seehanart said some of the people on the just-released names list had opened up to 30 accounts. "So some have earned up to Bt30,000 without the need to do any real work."

He said 133 of the people on the list had lived in the North, 49 in the Central region and 21 in the Northeast.

"None lived in the South," he said.

If the named persons do not quickly close their suspicious bank accounts, they could be charged with money-laundering, he said. This offence is punishable by a jail term of between one and 10 years and/or a fine of between Bt20,000 and Bt200,000.

"Banks that recognised these suspicious accounts but have failed to act will be fined Bt500,000 per account," Seehanart added.

To date, Amlo has had arrest warrants issued for 170 people suspected of opening their bank accounts to criminals. Twelve have been prosecuted. On June 10, one was sentenced to three years in jail for a money-laundering conviction.

"If you don't cooperate with authorities, you will face harsh legal action," Seehanart warned.


-- The Nation 2014-06-24

[rhythmworx]

Withdraw your fraudulent money ASAP before we have the chance to catch you.

How considerate.

[ukrules]

They should prosecute the banks for allowing this.

[Thai at Heart]

If the named persons do not quickly close their suspicious bank accounts, they could be charged with money-laundering,

Only in Thailand could the guilt be erased by closing the account. Duh

..

[NongKhaiKid]

Withdraw your fraudulent money ASAP before we have the chance to catch you.

How considerate.

Straight out of the DSI's Manual of Investigation.

[jaidam]

I have to admit to some excitement every time the junta make moves to crack down on financial shenanigans. It makes me wonder when they will get down to "that" 30 billion, that a certain "champion of the poor", er, stole from the poor.

[antimedia]

Time to stop playing Mr goody two shoes General and start taking this scum of the streets. What is more important here, personal popularity or the law to be equal for all? Name, shame and heavily penalise all of them regardless, only then will the people start to learn and accept change. There is only one chance to get this right, so if the current Thai way of me first you second prevails, the country is doomed for an eternity. To falter is normal and temporary, to be a failure is unacceptable and permanent.

[Tatsujin]

The most interesting thing in the article was this:

"He said 133 of the people on the list had lived in the North, 49 in the Central region and 21 in the Northeast."
"None lived in the South," he said.

Why so many people "north" doing this and none in the south at all?

[chainarong]

Thailand has a very bad reputation over sea's as the place for corruption and scams , this clamp down, as with all there clamp downs need to maintain the rage and apply the rules 24/7 365, it is not good enough to carry out these posturing tactic's for two weeks then forget about them and this is what these scam artists will do, sit and wait six months then start again, as always Thailand talks the talk how about walking the walk.

[timewilltell]

So obviously aimed at getting the people who opened accounts for third parties to close them out of fear. It is probably not so easy to know which accounts have been opened for illegal purposes and which have been opened legitimately unless you are going to investigate microscopically. Given the huge number of accounts I am sure AMLO does not have the resources. There is also a terrible propensity to allow banks to operate without responsibility here.

Unless AMLO comes across criminals and the accounts exposed as a result then I would expect most accounts will go undetected. So not such a stupid statement in my opinion but quite a legitimate way to stir the pot. Next legislation to pug the banks to responsibility checks for their business especially lending on fraudulently acquired property.

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[MMarlow]

So obviously aimed at getting the people who opened accounts for third parties to close them out of fear. It is probably not so easy to know which accounts have been opened for illegal purposes and which have been opened legitimately unless you are going to investigate microscopically. Given the huge number of accounts I am sure AMLO does not have the resources. There is also a terrible propensity to allow banks to operate without responsibility here.

Unless AMLO comes across criminals and the accounts exposed as a result then I would expect most accounts will go undetected. So not such a stupid statement in my opinion but quite a legitimate way to stir the pot. Next legislation to pug the banks to responsibility checks for their business especially lending on fraudulently acquired property.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

"There is also a terrible propensity to allow banks to operate without responsibility here."

What are you referring to, can you give an example of this "terrible propensity"?

[timewilltell]

So obviously aimed at getting the people who opened accounts for third parties to close them out of fear. It is probably not so easy to know which accounts have been opened for illegal purposes and which have been opened legitimately unless you are going to investigate microscopically. Given the huge number of accounts I am sure AMLO does not have the resources. There is also a terrible propensity to allow banks to operate without responsibility here.

Unless AMLO comes across criminals and the accounts exposed as a result then I would expect most accounts will go undetected. So not such a stupid statement in my opinion but quite a legitimate way to stir the pot. Next legislation to pug the banks to responsibility checks for their business especially lending on fraudulently acquired property.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

"There is also a terrible propensity to allow banks to operate without responsibility here."

What are you referring to, can you give an example of this "terrible propensity"?

Yes a bank has no responsibility to check good title on a property they offer a mortgage on. A criminal can thereby commit fraud to change the name on a chanote, takes one day, then get a mortgage from a bank, no responsibility to check anything except the value of the asset and name on the back of the chanote. The injured party can win against the criminal yet the bank mortgage will stand and become the responsibility of the original owner, notwithstanding very obvious circumstances of fraud. The same thing with cars.

The banks are protected and responsibility for good business practice thereby removed.

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[tingtongteesood]

Next check how many bank accounts people have. All the crazy corrupt people seem to have 30 accounts ! Why the hell do you need that many ?! Anyone whose name appears on more than 5 accounts, monitor closely.....

[noitom]

This is petty money laundering. The Thai military has to have a commitment to break the back of Thai bankers involved in money laundering. Threatening petty account holders making a piddling vigorish on the lent amount is preposterous. The Thai military should be rounding up some SVPs and EVPs and prosecuting. They should be conducting a few well organized stings. To run a round up on petty accounts is a sham and an effort to put up a show.

[Eloelo]

If the named persons do not quickly close their suspicious bank accounts, they could be charged with money-laundering,

Only in Thailand could the guilt be erased by closing the account. Duh

..

It is not only in Thailand that they do this , I had money put into my account suspiciously, the bank said I was attempting money laundering, they froze my acct withheld the funds and basically told me to fxxx off..and find another bank for my accts. or face the detectives questioning and face a possible jail sentence..it did not matter that I had no idea where the money came from...guilty as charged your honour and this was in Australia 2 months ago!

[belg]

close them, so they can withdraw the illegal money, why not confiscate after investigation or just freeze for the time beeing ?

[Prbkk]

Some irony. Thai banks find it increasingly difficult to facilitate banking for foreigners with legitimate needs and intentions but appear to have no such concerns when it comes to organised crime. Follow the money, as always.