Cases of 2 young Thais highlights the extent of call-centre scams

The Mirror Foundation said on Thursday that the incident took place in 2023 when a 15-year-old boy was lured by a job advertisement on the internet seeking an administrator in the Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo province, offering a monthly salary of 15,000 baht.

The child’s decision came as he failed to complete Mathayom 2 level, and he wanted to seek a more comfortable job than work in a construction site with a daily wage of 350 baht.

Though the child was under 18 years old, the call-centre gang told him that he could use his brother’s ID card for registration. 

The child travelled from the northern province to Sa Kaeo on a tour bus. He was ordered to send his mobile number to a ticket seller, so the call-centre gang could transfer ticket fees online.

Upon arrival, the boy and three other victims were picked up by a car to Poipet. A criminal sent him to a five-storey building in Cambodia near Surin border, telling him that he had been resold to a call-centre gang there.

Trembling in fear, the 15-year-old child accepted to be a part of call-centre scamming in a building where 30 Thais and two Chinese lived. The boy was ordered to read scripts and lure victims, starting from pretending to be a bank official.

The child was paid 20,000 baht salary in the first month for purchasing goods inside the building, though he failed to deceive anybody. He, however, did not receive any payments in the second and third months because of his failure to scam people.

He got 10,000 baht in the fourth month and was promoted to act as a police officer. He then generated a large amount from deceiving a monk, but that was also a turning point after he saw the victim burst out in tears when he switched on a video call.

The child asked the call-centre gang to allow him to return home in the fifth month, but he was asked to pay a ransom of 130,000 baht. 

He was later saved by The Mirror Foundation and relevant agencies without a ransom payment. The child had wounds and bruises all over his body, but his family did not file charges due to fears for his safety.

Meanwhile, Thai Progress Party MP Chaiyamphawan Munpianjitt on Friday revealed another case of a 21-year-old man in Bangkok who was deceived by a Chinese gang in Poipet.

According to him, a victim identified as “A” was among five people who were deceived to become football players to earn money. 

A van picked “A” at Suksawat Soi 14 in Chom Thong district, taking all five victims to a province near Poipet where they were ordered to practise their football skills there.

On the next day, a car took A to Poipet where a call-centre gang ordered him to open a bank account. The victim pleaded with the gang to release him as he had to take care of his relative in Thailand, so the gang promised to release him on Saturday (January 11). 

Chaiyamphawan confirmed that he had advised A to cope with several risks from the call-centre gang via a video call. He confirmed that he knew the victim’s location in an 18-storey building where many Thais who had been deceived were holded up.

“I have collaborated with Bangmod Police Station, Sa Kaeo Immigration and Poipet agencies for a way to take the victim home,” he said.

He said he would visit Aranyaprathet district to follow up the rescue and  collect evidence for Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, adding that he wants to know how the Chinese gang opens bank accounts in Rong Kluea Market.

Chaiyamphawan also called on Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Digital Economy and Society Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong to make the call-centre scams a part of the national agenda.