SCAM gangsters have allegedly moved their base from Cambodia to Thailand following joint crackdown by South Korean and Cambodian police in the neighbouring country, Amarin TV quoted an article published by South Korean magazine Sisa Journal as saying this evening (Oct. 21).
This magazine’s reporter contacted the middle manager of a scam centre in Thailand during Oct. 17-21, only identified as Mr. A, who said scam crimes stemming from human trafficking show no signs of ending .
Moreover he has heard of these gangsters in Cambodia scoffing at the crackdown while having seen signs of them moving their base of operation to Thailand.
A, whose scam hub has 12 South Korean workers, also explained that the scam bosses stressed that those who had previously entered Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos may not join them in Thailand because they would be investigated with Korean youths who frequently travelled to these three countries likely having engaged in illegal activities.
These youths working for scam centres were also told to book their own flights in order to avoid unnecessary suspicion during immigration procedures. This is because if A, a Chinese national, booked a ticket for another person, the PIN code on the ticket would be in Chinese language, which could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.
The group targeted by scam hubs to work for them are mostly youths in their 20s and 30s because it is perceived that those in their 40s do not have sufficient verbal skills to commit call centre crimes.
“They look for people to work for at least three months, the longer they work the more money they make. A emphasized that they are paid on a weekly basis, not monthly, and can earn between 10 million won and 15 million won (approximately 229,000 to 344,000 baht), depending on their skills,” the article said.
“Call centre crimes are divided into three main stages. Stage 1 involves a method called ‘Nogada (repetitive labour),’ which involves making continuous calls to find suitable victims… Stage 2 requires eloquence and those who easily pass this step would be able to work at Stage 3 with A explaining that only those with a deep understanding of the financial sector are able work at the third stage.”
There are also rules in place, firstly no alcohol allowed on weekdays and no drugs allowed at all because if they get arrested they would draw attention to the scam den. Furthermore no sharing of personal information with coworkers is permitted with this also endangering the workers’ own safety.
Three documents are required to apply for a scam job with these being health insurance, criminal record and passport photo.
A explained that a criminal record helped the scam bosses maintain control for instance if some money went missing the worker with a theft history would be immediately suspected.
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A deserted scam hub meeting room. Photo – Amarin TV
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