MyoTaw: Thai Police Arrest Four Including Chinese National for Stealing Credit Card Data and Defrauding Approximately 30 Million Baht

Thai police arrest four including a Chinese national for stealing credit card data and defrauding approximately 30 million baht

July 27

Thai police have arrested one Chinese national and three Thai nationals for stealing UnionPay credit card data from over 1,200 Chinese tourists who made purchases in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and using counterfeit cards to defraud approximately 30 million baht.

According to reports, the Chinese embassy filed a legal complaint regarding the theft of credit card information from over 1,200 Chinese tourists in Thailand, prompting Thai police to investigate and uncover the case.

Police investigations revealed that the perpetrators targeted Chinese tourists paying with UnionPay at three dried fruit and souvenir shops in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. They offered a 32% discount and used keyboards and payment terminals equipped with data-skimming devices to have customers swipe their cards twice, thereby stealing their information.

Thai police stated that the stolen card data and PIN numbers were sent to associates in the United States, who produced counterfeit cards to purchase high-value items and withdraw cash.

On July 22, Thai police raided the shops and homes of suspects, seizing 11 computer keyboards with built-in card-skimming devices, 3 EDC machines, 5 computers, 18 surveillance cameras, and other items.

Thai police reported that the fraud caused losses of approximately 6 million Chinese yuan (about 30 million Thai baht) to Chinese tourists. They arrested the 42-year-old Chinese national, identified as Qiang Ji, along with three Thai nationals involved in the scheme.

The Chinese suspect, Qiang Ji, confessed to purchasing the computer keyboards with built-in card-skimming devices from China and dividing the proceeds among the group members.

Ref; Bangkok Post
Photo; ECD

MyoTaw News Channel