Thai call center gang busted

BANGKOK, May 17 (TNA) - Thai and Chinese police have arrested a Thai call center gang alleged for using China's Guangdong Province as their base to lure at least 150 Thai people into transferring about 100 million baht to them. The gang, comprising 10 Thai and two Taiwanese nationals, was arrested in China's Dongguan city on May 9, after which they were brought to Thailand for further interrogation. Police Major General Phumira Watanapanee , Deputy Commissioner of Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau, on Thursday held a press conference on the case with Wu Jianmin, a police officer at the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok. Famon Chompolma, one of the arrested suspects, said that she had joined the call center gang, led by Taiwanese people, for seven months during which she had claimed to be an official of the Bank of Thailand or BOT telling victims that they had overdue debts with credit card companies. She then transferred the lines to other gangsters who had claimed to be officials of Thailand's Department of Special Investigation or DSI and lured victims into disclosing their personal data and credit card information and transferring their money to clear themselves of prosecution. Famon revealed that she phoned 4-5 victims a day and when victims transferred money to bank accounts in Thailand, her accomplices in Thailand immediately transferred the money to the gang in China. The call center gang deceived at least 150 Thai people, causing them over 100 million baht damage. The gang was found to, sometimes, make up to 400,000 baht a day and to be associated with many other call center gangs in China. Thai bank officials have affirmed that they have never phoned clients to seek such the transactions from them. (TNA)