If you are going to be in Thailand, beware aware of Call Center Scammers.
This is a huge and ongoing problem in Thailand with as many as 100,000 manning call centers.
Do NOT transfer money to anyone that you do not know personally.
Do NOT fall for any messages you receive via your mobile phone.
No one in Thailand is going to give you ANYTHING for Free!
You are NOT going to win something over your mobile phone.
Ten students at Chiang Mai University (CMU) were scammed in a single day, with reported losses totalling several million baht, prompting CMU and local police to issue a warning.
The scams surged during a recent long holiday from May 31 to June 2, Pol Col Manatchai Inthean, superintendent of Bhubing Rajanives police station, said on Thursday.
One male student was deceived into transferring money in four separate transactions, totalling more than 2 million baht. The scammers used forged documents, including fake letters bearing CMU and faculty letterheads and a counterfeit signature of the university’s rector, to convince the student and his family. The scammers also maintained constant contact through video calls over two days to control the victim’s actions.
The student’s mother later said that the family transferred the money in four instalments, ranging from 400,000 to 600,000 baht — some of it borrowed — before losing all contact with the scammers.
In a case involving a female student, she was instructed to wear headphones and carry a knife while pushing a cart to the police station. She sat in front of the duty officer, who recognised that something was wrong, de-escalated the situation and confiscated the knife.
Police said these scams use psychological pressure and constant manipulation through threats and scripted instructions. Many victims, while academically capable, lack life experience, making them more susceptible.
Among the 10 students, five were scammed through direct call center operations. Other cases involved tactics such as impersonating government officials, coercion during video calls involving threats or blackmail and fraudulent scholarship offers. Common scams also include fake part-time job offers or online purchases that never arrive.
Authorities had frozen related bank accounts and were tracking financial transactions. While some funds had been recovered, many cases remained unresolved.
In the 2-million-baht case, the student’s family identified a bank account and phone number but reported no progress, as the account holder said they were waiting for a police summons.
According to CMU, it is working with local police to provide information and support during student orientation and other activities. There is no evidence of a major data breach. These scams appear to be isolated incidents.
Students and their families are advised to stay vigilant as call centre scams continue.
Tackling this issue requires cooperation from all sectors and a serious national effort involving telecom providers, banks, internet services and relevant authorities to implement stronger and clearer measures.
Source: Bangkok Post