Two Chinese nationals have been arrested in Bangkok on suspicion of orchestrating a large-scale SMS phishing scheme. Masquerading as tour guides, they utilized sophisticated equipment to send fraudulent messages.
The scheme involved the use of counterfeit base stations that jammed legitimate mobile operator signals and sent scam links to phones within a radius of up to 3 kilometers. The perpetrators operated in bustling areas of Bangkok, including ICONSIAM, Asiatique, and CentralWorld. Over just a few days, they successfully sent messages to more than 30,000 phone numbers.
On January 9, 2025, police conducted a raid in the Bueng Kum district, resulting in the arrest of two suspects—49-year-old Mr. Li and 47-year-old Mr. Zhu. Authorities seized a vehicle equipped with the fraudulent equipment, 11 mobile phones, more than 30 SIM cards, and multiple bank cards.
The operation was led by Thailand’s cyber police in collaboration with engineers from Advanced Info Service (AIS). According to police reports, the suspects arrived in Thailand in December 2024, claiming to work as tour guides. However, the evidence strongly implicates their involvement in the scam.
The suspects deny the charges, asserting that the vehicle belonged to an acquaintance. Nonetheless, police data indicates that their activities had been ongoing for at least the past four days.
A third suspect, also a Chinese national, is currently being sought. He is believed to have rented accommodation in the same area for an extended period. The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to identify all parties involved.
Visetsak Charoenchai, AIS’s Director of Corporate Communications, reiterated that legitimate mobile operators never send messages containing links. Such messages are exclusively employed by fraudsters to steal funds from bank accounts.
