Bangkok police have detained two Chinese nationals, suspected to be key figures in a call center scam known as the “add insult to injury” scam.
These individuals reportedly convinced their victims that their money had been stolen and that it could only be recovered by providing their financial details.
Yi Wanyou, aged 29, and Li Weijia, aged 30, were apprehended in a residence in the Chatuchak district, following arrest warrants issued by the Criminal Court last Tuesday, as announced by national police chief Kittharath Punpetch on Thursday.
During the raid, authorities confiscated over 400,000 baht in cash, luxury items valued at 4 million baht, a Mercedes-Benz, and five mobile phones containing data on the scam operations.
Pol Gen Kittharath explained that the fraudsters used an “add insult to injury” tactic to lure and deceive their victims.
Investigations revealed that the gang had set up fraudulent Facebook pages purporting to be various official entities, including the Royal Thai Police and the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo).
They enhanced the pages’ credibility by purchasing followers and then advertised on social media, claiming they could trace confiscated assets.
Individuals who responded to these advertisements were redirected to a Line group where they were connected with suspects claiming to be lawyers and tech experts who showed them falsified financial transactions indicating their money was sent to gambling sites.
Subsequently, the scammers would offer assistance in retrieving the money, marking the commencement of the actual fraud.
Pol Gen Kittharath noted that this type of scam has gained traction not only in Thailand but also across neighboring nations.
This operation led to the arrest after one victim filed a complaint at Huai Khwang Police Station against Mr. Yi and Mr. Li.
Both suspects face charges of illegally trading bank accounts and phone numbers, which they have denied, according to Pol Gen Kittharath.
In a related case, the cybercrime unit arrested a 23-year-old Thai man associated with a Cambodia-based call center scam that duped 151 individuals out of approximately 800 million baht.
The young man, Anuwat, confessed to police that he was recruited in 2023 to manage a gambling site in Poipet, Cambodia, but was instead forced to join a call center scam operated by Thai and Chinese criminals, as detailed by Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan, head of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB).
The scam involved a three-stage process: an initial call to gain the victim’s trust, a follow-up call by someone impersonating a police officer to enhance credibility, and a final stage where a third accomplice instructed the victim on how to transfer funds.
Anuwat, who managed the second stage of the calls, reportedly earned a minimum of 100,000 baht a month.
