Thai, Philippine officials bust call center scam in Manila

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Bangkok – Thai Tourist Police have worked with the Philippines’ Immigration Bureau to bring down a scam call center based in Manila that has been targeting Thais for over a year, finding a number of Thais working at the center under three Taiwanese operators.

Deputy Commander of the Tourist Police Pol Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal, head of the Telephone and Electronic Media Scam Suppression and Prevention Center of the Royal Thai Police, announced the take down of the Manila center, revealing 16 Thais were involved in the operation.

The center had been in operation for over a year and had recently deceived one Thai victim in transferring close to 2 million baht from Nonthaburi province.

Pol Maj Gen Surachet said the center in the Philippines was one of the larger of such operations. It used electronic banking services to avoid the need for ATM machines and deceived victims by claiming costs for exported goods or by presenting stories of forced labor abroad.

The deputy commander said the Philippines’ cooperation with his unit and allowance for Thai police to be a part of the raid was in line with the One World One Team concept currently being implemented throughout the region.