Bangkok: South Korean scammers who created a dating website to trick people into transferring money have been arrested. Immigration police have arrested a South Korean scammer gang operating from Thailand, having crafted a fraudulent dating website that masqueraded as a prostitution ring to deceive victims out of more than 100 million baht.
According to Thai News Agency, the arrest involved seven South Korean nationals who had set up their operations in a luxury residence in Bangkok's Sathu Pradit area. They targeted over 1,000 victims by using a dating website that falsely advertised sexual services. Victims were tricked into registering and engaging in conversations with scammers posing as sex workers, who then manipulated them into transferring money before abruptly severing communication.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Panthana Nuchanart, Deputy Commander of the Immigration Police, stated that the operation was initiated following a tip-off from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Thailand. The embassy informed authorities about a group of South Koreans who had illegally rented a house to run this scam. Surveillance revealed that the scammers used a three-story townhouse as their base, ordering large quantities of food at night and keeping the lights and air conditioning on continuously. Armed with this information, police secured a search warrant and conducted a raid.
The raid led to the arrest of seven individuals who were caught responding to victims' messages via the fraudulent website. Authorities confiscated 63 items, including computers, mobile phones, and other electronic devices. Investigations uncovered that three of the arrested individuals were already wanted in South Korea for charges related to fraud and organized crime. Consequently, their permission to stay in Thailand has been revoked, and they have been blacklisted from future entry. The suspects are currently being held at the Immigration Detention Center, awaiting deportation to South Korea where they will face legal proceedings.