Arrest Made in Call Center Scam: Gold Receiver Tricks Female Student, Steals Millions

On February 5, 2024, Technology Crime Suppression police officers arrested Nareth, 28, with a warrant from the Bangkok South Criminal Court on charges of fraud, identity theft, and computer-related crimes. The suspect was caught in the Ramkhamhaeng area with stolen gold accessories and victim documents. The Online Fraud Prevention Center (ACSC) had ordered an investigation after a female student was scammed by criminals posing as government and DSI officials. The scammers used video calls with fake documents to threaten the student, claiming she was involved in money laundering and risking her future education in Japan. Terrorized by the threats, the victim transferred money and gold to the criminals' accounts. The scammers even forced her to lie to her mother and use her mother's bank account for additional transfers. The total damage was in the millions of baht. When arrested, Nareth claimed he was also a victim, saying he was tricked by scammers who claimed his bank account showed suspicious transactions over 200 million baht. He was ordered to receive gold from the victim and sell it, before being ultimately caught by authorities.