Call centre scam proves hard to crack

CRIME TRACK

Chinese and Taiwanese gangs are wreaking havoc after establishing a region-wide criminal network to mount call centre scams.

Panya: Gang members recruited here

Central Investigation Bureau deputy chief Panya Mamen said gangs were using fake call centres to commit fraud to supplement typical forms of organised crime such as ATM card fraud and jewellery theft.

Despite crackdowns on the activity, gangs always seem to stay one step ahead. To avoid detection and prosecution, they are shifting their bases of operation to Vietnam and neighbouring countries which have weaker law enforcement.

Pol Maj Gen Panya said the transnational crime gangs made up of Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean and Thai members have leased houses and set up fake call centres in Bangkok and major tourist provinces such as Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya.

"A call centre set up in Thailand makes random calls to victims in Taiwan, Korea, China, Singapore and Malaysia using the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system," Pol Maj Gen Panya said.

He said the fraudsters tell their victims that they have been assigned to collect debts owed to banks and credit card companies.

In some cases, they pretend to be representatives of a state agency, such as the revenue department, and demand payment for "outstanding fines".

Unwitting victims are often tricked into transferring money through an ATM into bank accounts opened by the gang.

"Call centres have also been set up in China and Taiwan to make fraudulent calls to victims in Thailand.

"To put it simply, the process is the same, but the difference is the location."

The money transfer is usually carried out through China UnionPay system, with gangs setting up bank accounts at major Thai banks.

Pol Maj Gen Panya said fake call centres in China have been set up in major cities such as Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing, while fake call centres in Thailand are usually established in major tourist provinces.

The main hurdle to police crackdowns is the high level of sophistication of the VoIP system, he said.

"According to our intelligence reports, call-centre fraud gangs in Thailand and overseas [operate on] the same network. Taiwanese authorities have waged a tough fight against the gangs for over a decade, but nothing has been yielded so far."

Pol Maj Gen Panya said Thailand had not been hit as hard as China and some neighbouring countries, but the practice was a big cause for concern.

He said gangs often recruit Thai accomplices regardless of their education background.

They receive a monthly salary of about 25,000 baht and a 10% share of the swindled money.

Thailand is also home to other Chinese criminal gangs that engage in burglary, jewellery theft, ATM card fraud and human trafficking.

Pol Maj Gen Panya said much of the credit for recent arrests of gang members should go to the public for their cooperation.

Contact Crimetrack: crimetrack@bangkokpost.co.th