Call Center Gang Swindles Temple of Nearly 9 Million Baht
A call center gang posing as police officers defrauded Mae Kham Temple in Chiang Rai of nearly 8.7 million baht by convincing the abbot to transfer funds for alleged money laundering investigations.
On August 8, 2025, the Mae Kham Temple committee in Mae Chan District, Chiang Rai Province, along with Buddhists from three villages, held a meeting to investigate the disappearance of large sums from the temple's bank account. The meeting was chaired by senior monks and attended by district officials and police.
According to the temple and Mae Chan police, in 2025 someone impersonated a police officer, presented fake credentials claiming to be from the Royal Thai Police, and provided fraudulent documents allegedly from a Rayong police station. The caller claimed the abbot was involved in money laundering, then instructed him to disclose bank details and transfer funds for verification purposes.
The abbot believed the scam and transferred money repeatedly. Over time, he received multiple follow-up requests for bail payments and other charges, totaling 207 transfers from January 2025 to July 2025. In all, approximately 8.7 million baht from both temple funds and the abbot's personal savings were sent to 66 different bank accounts. When the abbot grew suspicious and alerted Mae Chan police, investigators confirmed it was a scam perpetrated by a call center gang or scammer network. A report has been filed and the case is under investigation, with community meetings planned to update residents.
