A Chinese national and three Thai citizens have been arrested over an alleged credit card skimming operation that authorities say targeted around 1,200 Chinese tourists in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, causing losses estimated at 30 million baht.
Pol Maj Gen Puthipong Musikul, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), announced details of the case on Monday, saying the arrests followed a request from the Chinese embassy for Thai authorities to investigate the misuse of credit card information belonging to Chinese visitors.
Investigators believe the four suspects were linked to a wider criminal network operating across China, Thailand and the United States. The total financial damage was estimated at around 6 million yuan, equivalent to approximately 30 million baht.
The arrests were made as part of “CIB Operation Card Shield”, which was launched last week to investigate the suspected theft and fraudulent use of tourists’ payment card information.
Pol Col Krit Worathat, chief of Economic Crime Suppression Division 5 and head of the operation, said the victims had used UnionPay credit cards while visiting businesses in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
The stolen information was allegedly used to produce counterfeit cards and make purchases or cash withdrawals, with proceeds distributed among members of the network.
Police traced transactions involving the victims to three dried fruit and souvenir businesses: CM Yummy Fruit Dried Shop and Fruit Dried Shop in tambon Suthep, Muang district, Chiang Mai, and Yaowarat Fruit Dry Shop on Yaowarat Road in Bangkok.
Authorities said the businesses were registered to Chinese suspect Chao Ji, 42, and three Thai suspects identified as Salinee, 33, Jittra, 32, and Theeraphat, 32.
Police searched the three shops and the suspects’ homes on July 22, seizing 11 computer keyboards allegedly fitted with card-skimming devices, three electronic data capture (EDC) readers, five computers and 18 surveillance cameras. All four suspects were taken into custody.
Employees at the shops told investigators they had been instructed to process customers’ UnionPay cards twice. One transaction was allegedly carried out using a keyboard fitted with a skimming device, while the second was processed through a conventional EDC reader.
According to police, customers who questioned why their cards needed to be processed twice were told that the additional step was required to receive a 32% discount.
Investigators allege that the captured card information was then sent through the LINE messaging application to accomplices in the United States. PINs were reportedly obtained from surveillance cameras positioned to record customers as they entered their codes.
The stolen information was subsequently used to manufacture counterfeit cards in the US, according to investigators.
Pol Col Krit said Chao admitted his involvement in the scheme. The Chinese suspect was quoted as saying he bought skimmer-equipped computer keyboards from China.
