Police Rescue Three Students From Call Center Extortion Gang
Police rescued three students from a call center extortion gang that impersonated government officials and threatened victims into transferring nearly 2.75 million baht combined, with scammers posing as telecom employees and police on video
The Anti-Online Fraud Centre (ACSC), led by Deputy Police Commissioner Thana Chuwong and Assistant Commissioner Jiraphop Phuridet, announced the rescue of three student victims targeted by a call centre fraud gang on September 2. The scammers impersonated government officials, including police from Mueang Khon Kaen station, and threatened victims via phone, Line, and video call, claiming they were linked to serious crimes and demanding money transfers to prove their innocence.
The first victim, a 19-year-old female student, was told by someone posing as a telecom employee that her identity and ID card had been used to open a SIM card in Khon Kaen province for use as a money mule account. The scammers, dressed in police uniforms on video call to appear credible, then threatened her and forced her to transfer money from all her bank accounts. Forbidden from telling family or anyone else, the victim transferred a total of 1,249,985 baht before reporting the crime at Minburi police station.
The second victim, a 22-year-old recent university graduate, was similarly approached by someone claiming to be a telecom official, who said his phone number was linked to a money mule account. Fake police then threatened him with criminal charges. A person posing as a university lecturer later contacted him claiming he had received a scholarship for overseas study but needed to show a bank statement and maintain a clean criminal record. The fake police officer then forced the victim to stay on video call constantly and urged him to ask his parents for money. When the victim and his father attempted to transfer 995,000 baht, the bank called to warn them of possible fraud and blocked the transaction. Police officers then helped the victim file a report at Bukhao police station.
The third victim, a 19-year-old male student, was deceived into believing his ID card had been illegally used to open a SIM card in Ranong province. Fake police demanded he transfer money to prove his innocence, falsely claiming it would be sent to a state agency for verification and returned within an hour. The scammers also tricked him into creating a story for his parents that he had received a scholarship to study in the United Kingdom and needed money for bank statements and visa processing. He transferred a total of 498,999 baht before officers rescued him and helped him file a report at Thung Maha Mek police station.
The ACSC warns students and the public not to believe individuals claiming to be state officials, particularly police, DSI, or other agencies, who call to threaten, send documents or arrest warrants via Line or video call for investigation, or demand money transfers and asset verification. Such behaviour is a certain sign of fraud, as genuine state officials would never act this way.
