BANGKOK — Thai authorities have apprehended 56 individuals involved in a massive call center fraud operation based in Cambodia. The suspects, now repatriated to Thailand, are linked to 1,154 cases of fraud that caused financial damages exceeding 709 million baht ($20.7 million) to victims across the country.
Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, Senior Inspector General and Director of the Police Cyber Taskforce and Anti-Human Trafficking Center, announced on April 1 the successful repatriation of 56 Thai nationals involved in transnational call center fraud operations based in Cambodia.
During a press conference at the Cyber Crime Investigation Division 2 Headquarters in Muang Thong Thani, Pol. Gen. Thatchai detailed the operation that stemmed from Cambodian authorities’ raids on two locations in Poipet on March 22. The raids targeted Thai-run call center gangs that had been recruiting Thais to open fraudulent bank and cryptocurrency accounts.
“These criminal networks are responsible for 1,154 fraud cases with damages exceeding 709 million baht,” stated Pol. Gen. Thatchai.
Of the 63 Thais initially arrested in Cambodia, seven key suspects remain detained there for further investigation. The 56 returnees include 35 men, 21 women, and two children. Five of the suspects had active arrest warrants before their arrest.
Investigations revealed that 53 of the suspects had illegally crossed the Thai-Cambodian border through natural passageways to avoid immigration checkpoints. A screening process determined that none were victims of human trafficking, and all detainees showed no signs of physical abuse.
The call center operation’s typical recruitment pattern included luring Thais through social media job offers, paying them 3,000-5,000 baht per mule bank account opened, arranging illegal border crossings, and involving them in facial scans and money transfers for fraud operations.
One detained suspect revealed that recruits were housed in two-story townhouses in Poipet with segregated sleeping areas for men and women, where they were forced to open online financial accounts for money laundering purposes.
On March 31, the Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for 54 individuals on charges including participation in a transnational criminal organization, association with a criminal syndicate, public fraud, and uploading false information into computer systems.
Pol. Gen. Thatchai expressed gratitude to Cambodian authorities for their cooperation, highlighting that improved investigation methods have prevented scammers from falsely claiming trafficking victim status to evade prosecution.
“The Thai and Cambodian governments remain committed to working together to eliminate these transnational scam operations and protect our citizens from fraud,” he concluded.
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