Thai police arrested twelve South Korean nationals this week on suspicion of running a scam operation, after raiding a voice-phishing call center hidden inside a luxury home in Samut Prakan province, just south of Bangkok, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday, citing the country’s Foreign Ministry.
Authorities also detained a Chinese national in the same raid.
Officers reported seizing computers, mobile phones and other call-center equipment from the property, along with scripts believed to have been used to run the phishing calls and a written list of South Korean victims. Officials believe the suspects had entered Thailand illegally by crossing from neighboring countries, though which countries were not specified.
The group is accused of posing as prosecutors or other government officials to defraud South Korean victims — a familiar tactic in so-called “voice phishing” scams, in which callers impersonate law enforcement or officials to pressure victims into handing over money.
“We are aware that 12 South Korean nationals have been detained by Thai police,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, noting the detainees were being held on suspicion of involvement in scam-related crimes. The ministry added that the South Korean Embassy in Thailand was providing them with consular assistance, but declined to share further details while the local investigation continues.
The case comes against a backdrop of a broader problem: neighboring Cambodia and Myanmar have emerged in recent years as major operating grounds for transnational crime groups running romance and investment scams that reach victims well beyond Southeast Asia. South Korea and Thailand have been coordinating on the issue since launching a joint probe last year into organized-crime networks, including voice-phishing rings operating out of Thailand.
