Chiang Rai, February 28th, 2025 — Thai immigration officers raided a house in Mueang Chiang Rai district, arresting nine Chinese nationals linked to an online scam network.
The suspects allegedly used fake social media accounts with attractive profiles to befriend victims, mainly from the U.S. and Canada, before tricking them into transferring money for cryptocurrency investments via foreign digital wallets.
According to the officers, the scammers, who illegally entered Thailand from Laos, used AI-powered chat applications to communicate with their targets.
Authorities also arrested a 21-year-old Thai woman, publicly identified only as Orathai (last name withheld), the wife of one of the suspects. Seized items included 14 computers, 81 mobile phones, and internet connection devices.
The suspects face charges under Thailand’s Immigration Act and laws governing foreign workers. They were handed over to local police for further legal action.
A similar situation took place in Yasothon last month as we reported here.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
