Thai police arrest 27 in bust of Vietnamese call center scam syndicate
BANGKOK, THAILAND — Thai police have dismantled a sophisticated call center gang run by Vietnamese nationals operating from luxury villas in Bangkok, arresting 27 suspects in a major crackdown on romance scams, Thaiger reports.
The operation, which targeted victims across Thailand, allegedly defrauded individuals of tens of millions of baht.
Elaborate romance scam targeted Vietnamese nationals
According to Police Major General Noppasil Poonsawas, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, the scammers posed as wealthy professionals on Zalo, building fake relationships before convincing victims to transfer money for fabricated emergencies.
“Upon our investigation, we discovered the operation was designed to target other Vietnamese nationals through an elaborate romance scam,” said General Poonsawas.
Investigators found that each of the 27 workstations could generate up to VND 1.2 billion (approximately US$45,990.24) per month, with total estimated damages reaching VND 36 billion (approximately US$1.3 million) per month.
The operation was highly organized, with roles including cooks, electricians, and IT technicians to maintain the scam’s infrastructure. The raid also seized 116 mobile phones, 45 computers, and 5 grams of ketamine as evidence.
The workers received a base salary of THB 12,000 (US$369.63) and bonuses of THB 25,000 (US$770.06) for each successful fraud, thereby incentivizing large-scale deception.
The gang’s use of rented THB 30,000 to 40,000 per month (US$924.07 to US$1,232.10) villas allowed them to evade suspicion while operating discreetly.
Police vow to hunt spreading scams
Commissioner-General Police General Kitrat Panphet, of the Royal Thai Police, has pledged to intensify efforts against call center scams, which have become a growing threat in the region.
All suspects are being handed over to the Lam Phak Chi Police Station for questioning, and a further investigation is underway.
The case describes Thailand’s fight against international cybercrime networks, with specific references to those using tourist visas to set up their illegal operations.
