PATTAYA, Thailand – Police arrested three suspects after raiding a suspected online scam office in central Pattaya on October 13, where the group allegedly posed as cybercrime officers and tricked previous fraud victims into scanning QR codes under the pretext of recovering their stolen money.
Pol Maj Gen Kiatisak Srathongyoi, commander of the Investigation Division of Provincial Police Region 2, led investigators working with Pattaya City Police in the operation. Officers seized a laptop, five mobile phones, SIM cards, documents, three notebooks, two bank passbooks and a backpack.
Investigators said the suspects allegedly targeted people who had already lost money to scammers. They reportedly impersonated officers from Thailand’s cybercrime police, contacted victims and claimed they could trace and recover the missing funds before sending QR codes for them to scan.
Police are examining the QR codes to establish how they may have been used in the alleged offences. Investigators are also tracing financial transactions and assessing the scale of the suspected fraud.
During preliminary questioning, all three suspects reportedly admitted that they had previously worked with a call-center scam operation in Cambodia for about a year. They allegedly returned to Thailand and set up an office in Pattaya, using mobile phones to contact and deceive people in different parts of the country.
Police are analyzing the seized devices and documents to identify further evidence, trace the money and establish whether other people were involved and how many victims may have been affected.
Authorities urged anyone who has previously fallen victim to a scam to be cautious if someone claiming to be a cybercrime officer or government official offers to recover their money in exchange for scanning a QR code or taking action involving a bank account.
People should verify such claims directly through official government channels rather than risk becoming victims a second time. The investigation is continuing, and the suspects’ alleged activities remain subject to the legal process.
