A Chinese national and 12 accomplices have been apprehended in Chiang Rai for his or her involvement in an internet rip-off operation. The arrests were made by officers from Provincial Police Region 5 and the Immigration Bureau, following a tip-off in regards to the gang’s actions in Chiang Rai City.
The police, armed with a search warrant issued by Chiang Rai Provincial Court, collaborated with immigration officials to raid a business constructing in tambon Rob Wiang, Mueang district. They discovered the gang actively scamming victims on-line and arrested Chu Huaixiang, the Chinese national recognized as the gang chief, together with 12 team members, consisting of each Thai and Chinese nationals. The authorities also confiscated the online scammers’ computers found on the premises.
According to Pol. Lt. Gen. Piya Tawichai, the Provincial Police Region 5 commissioner, the web rip-off gang began its fraudulent activity by creating false profiles on Facebook, utilizing engaging photos sourced from the Internet as profile photos. They established Facebook teams named Tam Boon Online (“making advantage online”) and “Tour Boon” (“travelling and making merit”).
Thai members of the gang would then ship Facebook messages to customers they found on social media. If they obtained a response, they’d proceed the dialog with the sufferer to realize their belief. Eventually, the gang members would deceive the sufferer into making a cash donation and ask them to download a mobile application referred to as App.Shaoxiang.cfd.
Developed by the Chinese members of the gang, the app was promoted as an online merit-making software, that includes pictures of temples in Chiang Rai to create an illusion of authenticity. However, Factors donated by way of the app was transferred to proxy financial institution accounts, the police revealed..