Suspected call centre scammer posing as police officer arrested by real cops
A suspected call centre scammer posing as a police officer was arrested by real police in Thailand.
Amornthep, 35, allegedly duped victims into sending money by pretending to be a cop during scam calls.
He was hiding out in Bangkok before the Technology Crime Suppression Division raided his residence on May 11 over his alleged role in a transnational fraud network.
Police charged him with participating in organised crime, public fraud through impersonation, money laundering, and forging government documents.
Authorities said the arrest stemmed from numerous complaints about police impostors making scam calls in mid-2024.
Several suspects linked to the network, including mule account holders, scam callers and money launderers, were previously arrested, while authorities continued hunting other members, including an alleged Chinese ringleader.
Officers discovered Amornthep had been hiding in Thailand while preparing to return to Poipet, Cambodia, where police said the scam operation was based.
Amornthep allegedly confessed and admitted he had returned to Thailand earlier this month before planning to resume work in Cambodia.
Investigators said he first became involved as a mule account holder after being tricked by the gang, before later working as a scam call operator.
He allegedly dressed as a police officer during video calls to intimidate victims into handing over money.
The scheme, which involves fraudsters posing as officials, is a common tactic used by call centre gangs. Many of them are based in Thailand or in neighbouring Cambodia and Myanmar.
On February 10, police arrested a Chinese suspect who allegedly defrauded Benyapha Yeepracha, 74, of 520,000 baht in a similar scam.
Posing as a mobile phone network official, he convinced the worried pensioner to pay in cash to freeze the alleged fake account.
Police later detained him in a sting in Bangkok when he tried to fleece her again, demanding she pay an additional 320,000 baht 'for investigation fees'.
Thailand has become a notorious base for Chinese crime gangs operating fraud and human trafficking operations in neighbouring Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.
Thai and Chinese authorities were coordinating to crack down on the transnational crime rings.
