Bangkok: A call center gang posing as Land Department officials has been arrested for video calling a 57-year-old woman to trick her into downloading an app promising land compensation, resulting in a loss of over 800,000 baht.
According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Lt. Gen. Surapol Prembut, Commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), and Pol. Maj. Gen. Chatchapankan Klaiklueng, Deputy Commander of the TCSD, announced the successful return of over 800,000 baht to victims of a call center scam. This initiative, under the "MONEY Cash Back: Close Accounts, Hunt the Horse, Get Your Money Back," is being actively implemented.
In this case, a 57-year-old female victim reported receiving a call from a scammer impersonating officials from the Rasom Subdistrict Administrative Organization in Phachi District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, where the victim owns land. The scammer claimed to be a land surveying agency, contacting her to file land and building taxes. Believing this, the victim added her on Line and submitted personal documents, including her house registration, a copy of her ID card, a copy of the land title deed, a Por Bor Sor 3 document, an accounting form, and a building registration, as instructed by the scammer, in order to receive transfer fee compensation.
Afterward, the victim added the "Document Registration Department" on Line and sent a fake link for the victim to click, claiming it was a link regarding land documents from the Rasom Subdistrict Administrative Organization. The "Document Registration Department" then made a video call to the victim and had her download the "Smart Lands" app. During the app download, the perpetrator repeatedly explained the steps to share the screen and instructed the victim to access their bank app to reset the settings, changing from Thai to English. They then tricked the victim into changing the transfer limit and scanning their face.
Later, the perpetrators sent a payment authorization document from the Land Department office and tricked the victim into entering an OTP code in the victim's bank app, claiming it was a code to receive compensation from the Land Department. Ultimately, the victim's money was transferred, amounting to 879,098 baht, without their knowledge. They also tricked the victim into waiting to receive compensation from the Land Department, approximately 17,500 baht. The next day, the victim traveled to the Rasom Subdistrict Administrative Organization to submit documents to request compensation. The victim then realized she had been deceived and filed a police report.
Cyber police investigated until they identified the perpetrator and were able to lock the account and freeze the funds. However, the scammer initially denied all charges.
Cyber police have also discovered that scammers are using a method to change the Thai language to English, confusing victims and tricking them into scanning their faces to transfer money. The public is advised not to accept a friend request from Line, as this will prevent them from conversing with you. However, if they call you by phone, hang up immediately to protect your property.