Call Center Gang Scams University Student Out of 2.6 Million Baht

On August 17, Chaicha Detdetcho, a deputy leader of the Democratic Party and advisor to the Parliamentary Police Committee, revealed complaints from the parents of a first-year student at a prestigious university who fell victim to a call center scam and lost approximately 2.6 million baht.

Chaicha explained that the incident occurred on August 16, with two victims filing complaints. One was a first-year female student who was initially deceived by telephone scammers using a standard tactic, claiming her bank account was linked to drug trafficking and that she faced legal charges and arrest warrants. This created fear and made the victim believe the story. The call center gang then forced the student to deceive her parents by changing the scammers' Line account to display a professor's name and photo. They lied to the parents that their daughter had received a scholarship to study abroad, claiming funds were needed for visa processing and as financial security. They even impersonated a consul to build credibility, leading the parents to transfer approximately 2.6 million baht.

"This incident reflects the growing sophistication of call center fraud schemes," Chaicha said. "What used to target victims directly has now evolved into forcing victims to deceive their own family members, making parents more likely to believe and hand over money."

Chaicha highlighted several important investigative points, including how the student's personal information reached the scammers, and whether government awareness campaigns about call center scams and new fraud methods are effectively reaching the public, youth, and students.

Most alarmingly, Chaicha noted that the scammers' method of receiving money was not limited to bank transfers. They instructed victims to withdraw large amounts of cash—up to 2 million baht on multiple occasions—which the criminals then collected in person at the student's condominium. This demonstrates that despite Thailand's enforcement of anti-call center laws, the criminals show no fear of legal consequences, openly traveling to pick up cash at victims' residences.

"I urge the Prime Minister and the Technology Crime Suppression Division to urgently and seriously crackdown on this criminal network and follow up on this case thoroughly, including efforts to recover the victim's money," Chaicha said.

Chaicha also noted that according to the parents, the family was forced to borrow money from friends and colleagues, believing their daughter had received a scholarship to study in Germany and needed funds for visa procedures and financial documentation.