The woman was charged under the Computer Crimes Act with fraud by entering false data into a computer system with the potential to cause harm to others, in a practice commonly referred to as setting up “mule accounts” which are then used in a scam capacity to siphon off money from innocent members of the public.
The woman, a Ms Cantida, was arrested on Wednesday (July 3), claiming to CIB investigators that she herself had been deceived when as acquaintance “tricked her into opening a bank account, which was then used in an investment scam.”
The main scheme, she explained, was implemented through the LINE messenger applicaction, which is where scammers located victims before attempting to persuade them to “invest” in an opportunity which they claimed would make easy money by advertising products online.
The official report from the CIB did not disclose specific details relating to the fraud or provide an excat number of victims. The report did explain, however, that the case is being investigated by a leading police station in Bangkok.
Police explained that the chief scammers typically offers mules between B500-1000 baht for opening a scam account, while they themselves rake in millions.
Even discounting the fraud charge, Ms. Cantida faces up to three years in prison for violating the offence of opening bank accounts for others. In addition to the Computer Crimes Act and the relevant sections of the Criminal Code, Thailand has an Anti-Cybercrime Ordinance.
The new decree of 2023 spells out a separate punishment specifically for opening bank accounts and electronic wallets, as well as issuing SIM cards in the interests of third parties for use for illegal purposes.
Opening an account or purchasing a SIM card for a third party is a punishable offence. The registration of a SIM card, electronic wallet, and/or bank account on behalf of or in the interests of third parties to enable them to carry out illegal activities carries a punishment of up to three years in prison and/or up to B300,000 fine.
The crime of involving other persons in the issuance of SIM cards, electronic wallets, and/or bank accounts in the interests of third parties for illegal activities carries a punishment of between two to five years in prison and/or a fine ranging from B200,000 to B500,000.
Claiming ignorance of the beneficiary’s fraudulent plans does not exempt from liability, including under the Computer Crimes Law and under the article of the Criminal Code on fraud.