BANGKOK — The Cyber Police Task Force has apprehended two Chinese nationals who masqueraded as tour guides while operating a sophisticated mobile scam operation targeting thousands of shoppers across Bangkok’s busiest commercial areas.
The suspects used advanced signal-jamming technology to distribute fraudulent SMS messages to nearby mobile devices.
The operation utilized false base station technology to transmit fraudulent SMS messages containing phishing links to nearby mobile devices. The suspects drove through heavily populated areas including ICONSIAM, Asiatique, and CentralWorld, broadcasting their signal within a 1-3 kilometer radius.
This equipment effectively suppressed legitimate cellular tower signals, allowing the scammers to distribute deceptive messages to up to 30,000 phone numbers in targeted areas.
Following an investigation, police raided two apartments at JR Court in Nuanchan Soi 60, Bueng Kum district, on January 9. Two Chinese nationals were arrested: Mr. Li, 49, and Mr. Zhu, 47. Officers seized a bronze Honda CR-V equipped with the false base station device, 11 mobile phones, multiple bank accounts, ATM cards, and over 30 SIM cards.
Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphan, Commander of the Economic Crime Suppression Division, revealed that the investigation was conducted in collaboration with Advanced Info Service (AIS) engineers.
The suspects had entered Thailand in mid-December claiming to be tour guides. While they denied involvement in the scam, claiming they borrowed the vehicle from a friend, police have evidence linking them to fraudulent SMS activities over the past four days.
A third Chinese suspect, who had been renting an apartment in the same building for nearly a year, remains at large. Police are continuing their investigation to track down this suspect and any other potential accomplices.
Wisitsak Charoenchai, Director of Corporate Relations at AIS, emphasized that legitimate mobile operators never send messages containing links to customers. He warned the public to avoid clicking on any such links, as they are exclusively used by scammers attempting to steal funds from victims’ accounts.
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