Sa Kaeo: Police in Sa Kaeo have promptly assisted four individuals who were deceived into opening mule bank accounts for a call center gang operating cross-border from Thailand into Cambodia. The victims, three women from Krabi and one man from Prachin Buri, shared their ordeal with the media after being rescued just before crossing into Cambodia, where they were to scan faces to facilitate illicit money transfers.
According to Thai News Agency, one of the victims recounted that on February 6, a known acquaintance, through a family member, approached her with an online job opportunity. She, along with seven others, traveled to Bangkok on February 7, under the pretense of starting work. They were instructed to open bank accounts, with a promised fee of 5,000 baht per account, and informed that more accounts would yield more earnings. One group member opened an account and surrendered the passbook to the recruiter. Wages were promised only after completing a face-scanning process.
The woman revealed that she was unaware of where this face scanning would occur until February 8, when they were taken to a hotel in Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province. While there, individuals responsible for opening bank accounts came to the hotel for this purpose. Suspicion arose when she was instructed not to use her phone to contact family.
The group misled their families, claiming they were merely visiting Bangkok. However, upon sensing something amiss, they attempted to reach out to their families again. One victim managed to contact her daughter, sending her location, which indicated they were near the Aranyaprathet border. This confirmed the daughter's fears that her mother was being lured into a call center gang in Cambodia.
The daughter then coordinated with the Sa Kaeo Provincial Police to rescue the victims from the hotel. On February 9, while officers sought to identify them, the victim described how the recruiter instructed everyone to hide in the bathroom. Defying this, she identified herself to the officers, ultimately leading to her rescue.
Despite warnings, some group members insisted on proceeding to Cambodia to complete the face-scanning process and receive payment, highlighting the deceptive grip of such criminal operations.