NONTHABURI — Thai cybercrime police and telecommunications officials raided a rental house in Pak Kret District, Nonthaburi Province near Bangkok on December 1, uncovering an elaborate online retail fraud operation targeting Chinese and American consumers.
The operation, run by Chinese nationals, involved purchasing Thai citizens’ personal information to create unauthorized online stores on Etsy and Amazon. The scheme exploited U.S. platform restrictions that limit Chinese nationals to operating only one store per person.
During the raid, authorities seized 120 mini PCs (BMAX brand), 80 USB hubs, 369 aircards with SIM cards, 1 laptop computer, and multiple computer monitors.
According to Police Major General Jittipont Polpreuksa, Commander of Cyber Crime Investigation Division 4, the suspects recruited Thai citizens through Facebook job groups, offering 900-1,000 baht per person for their information to create online store accounts. These accounts were then sold to Chinese operators for approximately 40,000 yuan (200,000 baht) each.
The scam typically operated by building customer trust over 5-6 months of legitimate transactions before disappearing with customer payments. The operation primarily targeted Chinese and American customers, particularly through Etsy’s handmade goods marketplace, which is popular among U.S. consumers.
Chen, the Chinese national renting the property, admitted to running the operation. He revealed that each mini PC represented one online store, with some units equipped with up to three aircards to ensure stable internet connectivity. The operation was remotely controlled by Chinese supervisors based in mainland China.
While Chen entered Thailand legally on a digital nomad visa, the investigation revealed that the aircards used in the operation violated Thai telecommunications regulations, operating without proper certification or permits.
Authorities are pursuing charges under the Radio Communications Act and are investigating potential violations of personal data protection laws. The case remains under active investigation.
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