Thai police have arrested two men accused of working with a Chinese fraud network to send fake SMS messages carrying phishing links as they drove across busy districts of Bangkok.
The suspects reportedly used a base station hidden in their car that sent messages to trick victims into clicking links, which siphoned money from their bank accounts.
The operation, codenamed “Operation Khao San”, was outlined at a briefing held on Saturday by the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) alongside representatives from the mobile operator Advanced Info Service (AIS).
Police said the two suspects, identified as Nopparat Wetchakama and Mangkon Fuku, were caught in a white Suzuki Ertiga after investigators traced suspicious SMS activity in central Bangkok. Inside the car, officers found electronic equipment connected to a portable power supply, believed to be transmitting fraudulent messages.
According to police, the men admitted they had been recruited by a Chinese national who provided them with the devices, training and daily payments to drive around the capital sending between 5,000 and 10,000 scam texts a day.
Messages often impersonated banks and financial institutions. The suspects told investigators they were initially paid more than 3,000 baht a day, but later switched to rental cars with lower daily wages arranged by the Chinese organiser.
The pair now face charges of operating telecom equipment without a licence, illegally using radio frequencies, computer-related fraud and deceiving the public.
Police are continuing to trace the Chinese mastermind and investigate possible links to other call-centre gangs previously broken up in Thailand.
(Photo: Facebook ตำรวจไซเบอร์ – บช.สอท.)
(Photo: Facebook ตำรวจไซเบอร์ – บช.สอท.)
