DSI launches ‘Operation Shadow Bay,’ to crack down on transnational fraud, arrests a gang of fake foreign teachers gang that created over 2,000 fake websites, defrauding victims in over 20 countries worldwide, resulting in losses of over 2 billion baht

On Friday, May 30, 2025 at 11:00 AM, Police Major Yutthana Praedam, Director General of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), along with Police Captain Wisanu Chimtrakool, Deputy Director General of the DSI, and Police Captain Khemachart Prakaihongmanee, Director of Bureau of Technology and Cyber Crime, jointly held a press conference for Operation Shadow Bay-the dismantling of a transnational fraud network that tricked people into buying non-existent products or services through more than 2,000 fake websites, deceiving victims in over 20 countries worldwide and causing damages exceeding 800 million baht.

On Thursday, May 29, 2025, Police Major Yutthana, Director-General of DSI, assigned Police Captain Wisanu, Deputy Director-General of DSI, and  Police Captain Khemachart, Director of Bureau of Technology and Cyber Crime, to lead DSI officers in collaboration with police officers from the Immigration Bureau to search and arrest scammers and their foreign networks in 5 provinces: Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Kanchanaburi, Chanthaburi and Krabi. The operation took place simultaneously  at 11 locations nationwide: Bangkok and its surrounding areas (5 locations), Nakhon Pathom (2 locations), Krabi (2 locations), Kanchanaburi (1 location), and Chanthaburi (1 location). The operation successfully apprehended 9 individuals under arrest warrants, as follows: Mr. Livinus, Nigerian national, Mr. Derrick, Cameroonian national, Mr. Ghong, Cameroonian national, Ms. Jitpas (surname withheld), Mr. Thanitpop (surname withheld), Mr. Anuchat(surname withheld), Ms. Chanrat (surname withheld), Ms. Panatsaya (surname withheld) and Ms. Orrawan (surname withheld), all Thai nationals. They face charges of jointly participating in a transnational organized crime jointly inputting false computer data into the computer system in a manner likely to cause damage to the public and the national economic security, jointly defrauding the public by impersonating others, jointly committing money laundering, and jointly conspiring through an agreement between two or more persons to commit money laundering, with the offense carried out as a result of the said conspiracy. Assets related to the offense were seized including: 2 wallets (digital wallets), 3 cars, 3 motorcycles, an object resembling copper weighing approximately 15 tons, 18 mobile phones, 1 tablet, 13 computers, 21 bankbooks and other material evidence.

However, assets have been seized and frozen by Special Case Inquiry Officials. They have also coordinated with commercial banks to freeze over 500 accounts related to the crime, with a total damage from this fraud exceeding 2 billion baht, severely affecting Thailand’s business image and international confidence. The DSI will coordinate with the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) to take further action on all seized assets.

The operation stems from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when the DSI received complaints about fraud related to the purchase of medical rubber gloves and face masks through more than 40 online shopping websites. Subsequently, the Bureau of Technology and Cyber Crime set up an investigation team to follow up on the facts. They discovered that this scam was a scheme by a transnational scammer gang of more than 30 people. These individuals entered Thailand on tourist visas and subsequently sought ways to remain in the Kingdom permanently, such as marrying Thai woman and using their marital status to apply for a visa extension or apply for a job as contract teachers in public or private educational institutions, or setting up a front business company to launder money and use as a reason to apply for an extension of their stay in the Kingdom.

Most of the scammers in this gang are Cameroonians, Nigerians, and Indians who have disguised themselves as language teachers in numerous public and private schools in Thailand for over 15 years, using Thailand as a base to register over 100 fake companies and opened over 500 mule accounts to receive money transfers. They then created over 2,000 fake websites to trick people into buying products and services, which were used to deceive victims, both Thai and foreign, into believing they were purchasing legitimate Thai products and services. After convincing victims to transfer money, the money was sent back to their countries of origin or laundered through the purchase of cryptocurrency.

In addition to having their Thai wives open fake companies, they also deceived and persuaded other people to open companies and bank accounts for them, claiming that they would share the profits if the company performed well, which led many people to fall for the scheme. Each fake company would have 5-8 associated bank accounts opened to prepare for receiving money transfers. After that, members of the gang who created the fake website would post advertisements to create credibility that the company was genuinely operating. These advertisements would invite people to purchase goods and services, such as marine engine products, medical equipment, food, etc., and transfer money to the company’s bank account. However, no goods or services were ever delivered. The operation also involved attacks on computer systems to alter the financial transaction data of the partner company and transfer money into the accused group’s accounts.

The circumstances and criminal conduct of the aforementioned foreign network were complex and involved attempts to disconnect the evidence by creating or impersonating individuals or juristic persons to commit crimes. This constitutes significant transnational crime or organized criminal activities that affects the public peace, order, and moral standards causing severe damage to the country's economic system, important infrastructure in finance, transportation and logistics. This led to Thai people losing business opportunities and has resulted in warnings on many foreign websites, urging caution when making transactions with businesses and companies in Thailand.

The DSI would like to inform the public who have been damaged by the aforementioned case, you can contract the Special Case Inquiry Official at the Bureau of Technology and Cyber Crime, DSI Building, Chaeng Watthana Road, Thung Song Hong Subdistrict, Lak Si District, Bangkok, or contact through the DSI hotline at 1202 (toll-free nationwide) or visit the Department of Special Investigation website at www.dsi.go.th to provide information and submit evidence for legal proceedings. All information will be kept strictly confidential.