BANGKOK — Police on Wednesday said they arrested four foreign nationals accused of carrying out a phone scam that caused more than 9.5 billion baht in damage by tricking their compatriots into emptying their pockets.
Two Taiwanese men and Two Japanese men were arrested in Samut Sakhon and Krabi provinces following a tip-off from Taiwanese and Japanese authorities, deputy police commissioner Surachate Hakparn said. The suspects allegedly posed as bank employees or police officers and defrauded the victims into transferring funds by making false claims about their debts.
Pol. Gen. Surachate said the syndicate is believed to be run by Taiwanese men, who managed bank accounts and recruited the Japanese nationals into the scam operated from the house in Samut Sakhon province. The sophisticated scam reportedly swindled more than 17,500 Japanese people out of 9.5 billion baht, police said.
Police said mobile phones, computers, electronic cards, and scam manuals in Chinese and Japanese languages were seized from the house and more people are believed to be involved in the scam.
